San Miguel Middle School History
The founding story of San Miguel Middle School mirrors the stories of the families it serves: small and humble beginnings, dreams larger than life, and raw determination to make things happen.In June of 1999, Brother Larry Schatz, FSC and Benjamin Murray received the approval of the Christian Brothers of the Midwest to establish a small Lasallian middle school to serve the economically poor in Minneapolis. A volunteer task force was created to establish the school in the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis. The founding staff included Brother Dennis Galvin, FSC, Karla Gergen, Ben Murray, Brother Larry Schatz, FSC, and Mary Warpeha.
San Miguel opened in September 2000 with a sixth grade in a modified warehouse space. During the subsequent two years, seventh and eighth grades were added and the Graduate Support Program was established. San Miguel relocated to its current location in 2003 when it entered into a building partnership with Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, a Catholic Latino parish in South Minneapolis.
San Miguel transitioned from an all-volunteer staff to salaried positions, engaging highly qualified professionals who have the experience and training to provide the best education possible to students with complex educational and social needs.
San Miguel has benefited from relative stability in staffing and program operations. In January 2008, founding President Brother Larry Schatz, FSC left San Miguel to accept an appointment as the Auxiliary Visitor for the Christian Brothers in the Midwest. Co-founder Benjamin Murray succeeded him as president. Benjamin brings a strong understanding of the mission and the community as well as a vision for the school's future.
In 2009, San Miguel earned its initial accreditation from the Minnesota Nonpublic Schools Accrediting Association and its Catholic identity validation through the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Both were granted without exception. The creation of a strategic plan was an important component of the accreditation.
Over the past decade, our most significant achievement is the increase in the percentage of San Miguel graduates who are still in school and progressing toward graduation. Overall, 92% of students who graduated in the past four years from San Miguel are still in high school and progressing toward graduation. These results compare with a graduation rate of 40% for Latino youth in local schools.
San Miguel continues to seek new partnerships and strengthen existing ones to provide the financial resources for San Miguel's growth and success. The contributions of time and resources of many people have built San Miguel Middle School and helped it grow into the wonderful educational opportunity it is today.
