History

In the summer of 1999, Father Irwin and Bishop Lynch envisioned a school being built on 39 acres of land that had been donated to the Church of St Stephen. A building committee was formed, and a school design was completed in the summer of 2000, which included provisions for two classes per grade level from early childhood three-year-olds (EC3) through 8th grade.

In January of 2001, Mary Liddy, the first principal, spearheaded the efforts to open St Stephen Catholic School. Construction began in July 2000 and was completed in May 2001. The school opened for the first day of classes on August 11, 2001, with one class per grade, EC3 through 5th grade. The first annual fundraiser, Angels Among Us, was started to fund the furnishings of the school. A School Advisory Board (SAB) was formed to frame the future of the school, set high standards, support the principal, and find solutions to problems as they arise. A Parent-Teacher Community Organization (PTCO) was also formed, and By-Laws developed. An extensive religious education program was moved into the school at the beginning of this first year.

The fourth year of operation witnessed the success of St Stephen becoming a school that could serve the community in all grades from EC-3 through eighth grade. This year also saw the graduation of the first eighth grade class: graduates who proved to be critical thinkers reflecting on their work while building on the Catholic values learned at St. Stephen. 

School enrollment continued to flourish in 2005-2006, and the school started the accreditation process through The Florida Catholic Conference. In 2007, the school succeeded in receiving its accreditation.  Construction began on a new building affectionately named Angels Wing to accommodate students in grades 5 thru 8, and the school began participating in the parish steering committee’s efforts to build a new church on the school property.

Phase 3 of Angels Wing began in 2010. This period saw the introduction of technology upgrades at the school and the moving forward of building initiatives for the Family Life Center (FLC) and the new Church.  On December 27, 2015, the school shared in the blessing of the cornerstone for the new Church and witnessed the beginning of the construction. On April 30, 2016, all joined in a mass celebration for the newly constructed Family Life Center. The Family Life Center serves many purposes for the St. Stephen Catholic community, from a gym for St. Stephen Catholic School to a meeting place for the Edge, a religious education group for middle schoolers.

In 2017, the new church was completed on the property, allowing students and faculty to enjoy weekly Mass and special events with the parish.