• St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School Seal - White

      StMichaels-seal-1C-K1

About

History

A History of St. Michael's Catholic Academy

In 1972, the only Catholic high school in Austin closed. After nearly a decade of expansion, Austin continued to exist as one of the few sizable US cities without a Catholic secondary school. Led by founding Board of Trustees member Dr. Leonard Dolce, a small group of concerned parents and Catholic lay leaders gathered together to explore the creation of such a school. The Bishop of Austin commissioned a task force in 1981 to conduct a feasibility study, which ultimately revealed widespread and enthusiastic support for the founding of a Catholic high school in Austin. In 1984, St. Michael's Catholic Academy opened its doors. It was one of the first Catholic schools in the nation established entirely by the laity. In the ensuing years, the trustees, parents, faculty, and staff labored to build a school of academic excellence operating within a climate of spiritual freedom. The building of our Chapel and the offering of Mass have allowed for the daily reinforcement of the Gospel truths by which we live. Although independent, the school continues to maintain an open dialogue and close relationship with the Diocese of Austin. The St. Michael's Catholic Academy of today has realized its founding vision: to rank as a top-tier Catholic secondary school that nourishes the minds, bodies, and spirits of its students, preparing each of them for a challenging college education and a spiritual and moral life in the world.

A History of St. Gabriel's Catholic School

On August 10, 1995, the Catholic Diocese of Austin granted permission to an organization of prominent lay leaders to build a new Catholic elementary and middle school in southwest Austin. Based on the agreement, a Texas nonprofit corporation was formed to own and operate the private school. The school’s mission, religious formation, and curriculum would be accountable to the Bishop of Austin, who is the ecclesiastical authority of the Apostolic See pursuant to the Canon Law of the Catholic Church. It would operate under the vigilance of the Diocesan Office of Education and Superintendent of Catholic Schools.
 
The formal agreement with the Most Reverend John McCarthy, Bishop of Austin, established key elements of the school’s purpose, mission and eventual mode of operation. The school was expected to hold high academic standards and admit students who could meet those standards. It was expected to operate as an independent regional school without belonging to any one constituency, parish or neighborhood. The agreement further stated that the school would admit students regardless of race, national origin or religion, and set aside funds, as the budget permitted, for financial assistance.
 
St. Gabriel’s Catholic School, Austin, Texas, was founded in 1999 as an independent PreK-8 Catholic school owned and operated by a Texas non-profit corporation. St. Gabriel's opened its doors in 1999 to 350 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight from 24 zip codes in and around the Austin area.  As we moved towards unification with St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in 2022, we had the brick and mortar—the buildings, the gym, the track and fields, the playgrounds—but so much more importantly we had the people who made up the family and community of St. Gabriel's.

Unification and Founding of St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School

On November 16, 2022, the Board of Trustees for each school voted unanimously to unify and thus became a unified Board of Trustees for St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School. This decision was made as a culmination of many years of discussion, research, planning, and discernment. The Board was keenly aware of today’s competitive and challenging environment for Independent schools locally in the Austin market, across Texas, and nationally. The unification of the schools solidified our position as a superior, competitive, and – importantly – an accessible Independent Catholic school.  St. Gabriel’s and St. Michael’s were so closely aligned in mission, Catholic values, and exceptional social-emotional, academic, and extracurricular offerings, not to mention location. The Board of Trustees believed that the unified school could provide an even more exceptional Catholic experience for our students and families, and indeed they were correct.
The joining of the two schools marked a significant chapter in our school’s journey, and through faith, collaboration and partnership, we have grown into one community. Together we will honor the past, embrace the present, and co-create our very bright future.

Lower / Middle School

Upper School

St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School maintains dual accreditation by Independent Schools of the Southwest and the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops. 

St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, age, gender, national or ethnic origin in : (i) the admission of students; (ii) the offerings of rights, privileges, programs, or activities generally made available to their students; or (iii) the administration of educational policies, financial grant programs, athletic programs, employment practices or policies, or other school-administered programs.
© St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School