Mr. Nathan Barontini has been a member of the faculty and administration of Prince of Peace Catholic School since 2017, becoming principal in 2023. He completed the Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML) jointly offered through the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School Online, a program designed to equip school leaders with advanced skills in organizational leadership, academic excellence, and strategic management.
Shortly after Mr. Barontini assumed leadership of the school, Prince of Peace Catholic School was named Best Preschool and Best Private School in the Upstate by Greenville News. Among the proudest moments of his tenure is leading the school to become a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, recognized by the Council for American Private Education, and to be honored with the South Carolina Blue Ribbon for Exemplary High Performing Schools, awarded by the Governor at the State House. These recognitions place Prince of Peace among a select group of elite schools nationwide that meet rigorous academic benchmarks and exemplify excellence in education.
Mr. Barontini also serves the Diocese of Charleston as the Academic Excellence Chairman for the Catholic Schools Office, where he supports diocesan initiatives in curriculum alignment, instructional quality, and student assessment. In this role, he collaborates with school leaders across the diocese to promote high academic standards and advance best practices in Catholic education.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Barontini and his family relocated to Greenville after a visit that included attending Mass at Prince of Peace. The warmth and responsiveness of the parish—especially through communications with Father Tomlinson and Canon Smith—confirmed for them that this would be their spiritual home. The Barontini family moved to Greenville in 2014 and have remained deeply engaged in parish and school life ever since. Their children have attended Prince of Peace Catholic School beginning in K4, and their continued positive experiences have deepened the family’s commitment to the school community.
Some of Mr. Barontini’s primary intellectual influences include Dante Alighieri, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine of Hippo, Plato, Aristotle, Pope Benedict XVI, and C.S. Lewis.
Mr. Barontini graduated cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied history and classics and earned a master’s degree in teaching. He is a member of the Dante Society of America, the Knights of Columbus, and several honor societies including Pi Lambda Theta, Phi Eta Sigma, and Phi Alpha Theta.
As principal, Mr. Barontini is committed to forming Saints and Scholars through Catholic Culture and Academic Excellence.
At Prince of Peace Catholic School, the principal reports directly to the pastor and serves as the director and manager of the school’s daily operations, upholding the Catholic mission of the school by shaping policies, guiding programs, and providing leadership to faculty and staff.
