St. Michael's Catholic Academy (Travis County, Texas)

St. Michael's Catholic Academy is a private college preparatory high school in Barton Creek, a community in unincorporated Travis County, Texas (Greater Austin),^[1] with an enrollment of approximately 360 students in grades 9–12. It is within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin. In 2023, it was merged with its sister school, St. Gabriel’s Catholic School, as one unified school for PK3-12th grade. However, both schools still keep their own campuses.^[2] Starting in 2024, the school (including St. Gabriel's) will be officially renamed to St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School.^[3]

St. Michael's
Address
3000 Barton Creek Boulevard Austin , Texas 78735 United States
Coordinates	30°17′26″N 97°52′33″W / 30.290555°N 97.875934°W / 30.290555; -97.875934
Information
School type	Private
Motto	Veritas Vincit (Truth Prevails)
Religious affiliation(s)	Catholic
Patron saint(s)	Saint Michael the Archangel
Established	1984
CEEB code	440313
Principal	Hidie Sloan
Head of school	Collen Lynch, Ed.D.
Chaplain	Lou Bursadi
Grades	9–12
Gender	Co-educational
Enrollment	Approximately 350 (2017-2018)
Average class size	18
Education system	College preparatory
Campus size	50 acres
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Maroon and white
Athletics conference	TAPPS
Sports	Baseball, basketball, cheer, cross country, dance, American football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track an field, volleyball
Mascot	The Warrior
Team name	Warriors
Rival	Regents
Accreditation	SACS/AdvancEd and the Texas Catholic Conference
Website	http://smca.com

The student-teacher ratio is approximately 10 to 1, and the mean ACT Composite is 26.6. In 2015 and 2016, St. Michael's won the Class 4A Henderson Cup, awarded by the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools for excellence in academics, fine arts and athletics.

In 2016, St. Michael's won four state championships: academics, women's tennis, women's cross country and men's track and field. In athletics, St. Michael's has won more than 30 state championships. Many former St. Michael's student-athletes have played, or are now playing, Division 1 sports at the college level including American football, baseball, basketball, track and field, golf, volleyball, cross country, baseball and soccer.

Background

The school was established in 1984 to fill the void left by the closing of the only Catholic high school in Austin in 1972. From 1972 to 1984, Austin was the only sizable city in the USA without a Catholic high school. A small group of parents and Catholic lay leaders commissioned a study that ultimately revealed enthusiasm in the Austin community for such a school. In 1984, St. Michael's Catholic Academy opened. It was one of the first Catholic schools in the USA established entirely by lay persons.^[4]

Notable alumni

• Jameson Houston, NFL free agent defensive back^[5]
• Kyle Martin, 2009, former MLB pitcher for the Boston Red Sox^[6]
• Mitch Morse, 2010, NFL offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills^[7]

Notes and references

1. "Welcome to St. Gabriel's Catholic School + St. Michael's Catholic Academy". St. Michael's Catholic Academy. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
2. "We Are One". St. Gabriel's Catholic School.
3. "Unification FAQ". We Are One. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
4. "School History". St. Michael's Catholic Academy. Retrieved 5 September 2014.^{[dead link]}
5. Young, Lindsey (28 August 2023). "Vikings Begin Roster Reductions Ahead of Final Roster Cut Deadline". vikings.com. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
6. "Kyle Martin Stats". mlb.com. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
7. "Buffalo Bills Roster: Mitch Morse". buffalobills.com. Retrieved 20 February 2024.