About Us

St. Pius X High School has a history of welcoming students from Houston and its surrounding areas, as well as from around the world. SPX students reflect the diversity of life including their learning styles. 

In the 1980s, St. Pius X began a concerted effort to help students who found learning difficult. For more than a decade, SPX has accepted students with diagnosed learning differences, fostering their success in the school's traditional college preparatory program. In 2002, those efforts became more focused. That same year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops conducted a study about Catholic school students with learning differences, which led to a specific program at SPX. 

The evolution of this program continued, creating the Learning for Success Program in 2007, making St. Pius X the first Catholic high school in Houston to formalize a specific program for students with learning differences.

Dr. Patrick Triplett was named as the Director of the Paul A. Gilliam ’98 Learning Center and Learning for Success program in March of 2020. Dr. Triplett provides oversight and leadership, coordinating all aspects of the Learning Center including admissions, consultation and ongoing support for students and their families, and staff development.

Dr. Triplett graduated from Loyola University of New Orleans and began teaching Spanish and coaching soccer in New Orleans. He next moved to Dallas and began working with students with learning differences while earning a Ph. D. in Special Education from the University of North Texas.

St. Pius X High School has a long and distinguished history of diversity, not only in demographics, but also in learning. Since the 1980s, SPX has been commended for its determination to help students struggling with a variety of learning differences. With the inception of the Learning for Success program in 2007, St. Pius X became the first Catholic high school in Houston to formalize and fund such a program.

The Paul A. Gilliam ‘98 Learning Center was built in 2011 to meet the growing needs of our Learning for Success students. The new facility was named to honor the legacy of Paul A. Gilliam‘98, who passed away on March 1, 2010. Paul was one of many students who received the benefits of the nurturing, yet challenging curriculum, which evolved into the Learning for Success program. Following graduation from SPX, Paul completed his college career, started his own business and married his high school sweetheart. Much of Paul’s success was grounded in the education he received during his time at St. Pius X High School—the Christian values and solid academics, along with the core values of Learning for Success: Self Discipline; Study Skills; Self Assurance.