History:

In the fall of 1990, the Diocese of St. Petersburg answered the need for a Catholic elementary school to serve the growing Catholic population of north Pinellas County. 

After meeting with Bishop Favalora, the pastors of All Saints, St. Michael’s, St. Luke’s, and St. Ignatius, agreed that Guardian Angels Primary School, an inter-parochial ministry, would be established in the existing CCD classrooms at St. Michael’s parish until a permanent site could be located and a school building constructed. It was with great joy that Reverend James Russo was named the first school pastor. 

In 1991, after much anticipation, Guardian Angel Primary School opened its doors to 35 kindergarten and first grade students. At the request of Father Russo, the Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon, Ohio sent Sister Jean Marie Dick to serve as Guardian Angels’ first principal. Two lay teachers, two teacher assistants, and a school secretary joined Sister Jean Marie that first year. No one could have imagined then that from such humble beginnings a prosperous, well-equipped school and campus would emerge. 

Due to a dramatic increase in applications for enrollment in 1992, the Diocese decided that Guardian Angels would be expanded from a primary school to an elementary school, and the name changed to Guardian Angels Catholic School. 

In each successive year, two classes would be added to reach the goal of having two classes of each grade K-8 by the 2003-2004 school year. A capital campaign throughout the four feeder parishes was initiated to finance this project that was to consist of three buildings to be built in three separate phases. 

In 1993 and 1994, two additions were made to the GACS family with Sr. Mary Elizabeth Sakach who succeeded Sister. Sr. Jean Marie as principal and a Spanish teacher that was hired to begin our foreign language program. GACS welcomed almost 200 students into its Phase 1 building at 2270 Evans Road in Clearwater for the 1995 - 96 school year and no one was happier than the new school pastor, Father Joseph Pellegrino and new principal, Mrs. Cindy Mann. The St. Gabriel building, as it is now known, provided 12 classrooms with 6 teacher offices between them, administrative and staff offices, a media center, and a teacher’s lounge. The extended day program was instituted as well as alternative lunch services. An outdoor pavilion was built for the students as a lunch facility.