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Pinellas is home to 21 Catholic schools and early childhood centers

Many participate in Florida’s expanding school voucher programs, making it a more affordable option.
 
Families attend a parent/teacher meet-and-greet at St. John Vianney Catholic School in St. Pete Beach, one of 21 Diocese of St. Petersburg schools in Pinellas County.
Families attend a parent/teacher meet-and-greet at St. John Vianney Catholic School in St. Pete Beach, one of 21 Diocese of St. Petersburg schools in Pinellas County. [ KEELER, SCOTT | Tampa Bay Times ]
Published Oct. 31, 2019

The Diocese of St. Petersburg operates 48 Catholic schools and early childhood centers in the Tampa Bay region, with a total enrollment of more than 12,000 students. Twenty-one of those campuses are in Pinellas County.

That makes Catholic schools the area’s second-largest network of schools next to the public system, but they welcome students of all faiths.

“The mission of Catholic Schools and Centers is to provide a faith-filled community where students can grow spiritually, academically, and socially. They reflect the richness, diversity and strength of our Catholic church,” the diocese states on its website.

The diocese also notes that its schools are accredited by the Florida Catholic Conference. And it highlights the student/teacher ratio of Catholic schools, which is 14:1, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Many Catholic schools participate in state school voucher programs like the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships for families that qualify financially. In addition, they accept McKay and Gardiner scholarships, which are state programs for students with special needs. Information on financial aid is available at dosp.org/schools.

Over the next three months, many of these schools will begin offering tours and open houses on their websites in preparation for the 2020–21 school year. Here is a list of Catholic schools in Pinellas:

Blessed Sacrament Catholic School

11501 66th Ave. N, Seminole; early childhood 4; VPK; K-8; bscschool.com; (727) 391-4060

Cathedral School of St. Jude

600 58th St. N, St. Petersburg; early childhood 2-4; VPK; K-8; cathedralschoolofstjude.org; (727) 347-8622

Clearwater Central Catholic High School

2750 Haines Bayshore Road; 9-12; coed; ccchs.org; (727) 531-1449

Espiritu Santo Catholic School

2405A Philippe Parkway, Safety Harbor; early childhood 3; VPK; K-8; escschool.org; (727) 812-4650

Guardian Angels Catholic School

2270 Evans Road, Clearwater; VPK; K-8; gacsfl.com; (727) 799-6724

Holy Family Catholic School

250 78th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg; early childhood 2-3; VPK; K-8; holyfamilycatholicschool.com; (727) 526-8194

Holy Family Early Childhood Center

200 78th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg; ages 2-4; VPK; holyfamilycatholicschool.com/early-childhood-center.html; (727) 525-8489

Light of Christ Early Childhood Center

2176 Marilyn Street, Clearwater; ages 2-4; VPK; locchurch.org/ecc; (727) 442-4797

Morning Star Catholic School

4661 80th Ave. N, Pinellas Park; special education; morningstarschool.org; (727) 544-6036

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School

730 San Salvador Drive, Dunedin; early childhood 3-4; VPK; K-8; myoll.com; (727) 733-3776

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Sacred Heart Catholic School

7951 46th Way N, Pinellas Park; early childhood 3-4; K-8; sacredheartpinellaspark.org; (727) 544-1106

St. Cecelia Catholic School

1350 Court St., Clearwater; early childhood 3; VPK; K-8; st-cecelia.org; (727) 461-1200

St. Ignatius Early Childhood Center

725 East Orange St. Tarpon Springs; early childhood 2-4; frjoeshomilies.net/ECC_Index_website/index.html; (727) 937-5427

St. Jerome Early Childhood Center

10895 Hamlin Blvd., Largo; early childhood 2-4; VPK; stjeromeearlychildhoodcenter.org; (727) 596-9491

St. John Vianney Catholic School

500 84th Ave., St. Pete Beach; early childhood 4; VPK; K-8; sjvcs.org; (727) 360-1113

St. Luke Early Childhood Center

2757 Alderman Road, Palm Harbor; early childhood 2-4; VPK; StLukeEcc.com; (727) 787-2914

St. Patrick Catholic School

1501 Trotter Road, Largo; early childhood 3-4; K-8; stpatrickcatholic.org; (727) 581-4865

St. Paul Catholic School

1900 12th St. N, St. Petersburg; early childhood 3-4; K-8; stpaul1930.org; (727) 823-6144

St. Paul’s Children’s Center

1800 12th St. N, St. Petersburg; early childhood; infant-2 years; stpaulschildrenscenter.com; (727) 822-3481

St. Petersburg Catholic High School

6333 Ninth Ave. N, St. Petersburg; 9-12 coed; spchs.org; (727) 344-4065

St. Raphael Catholic School

1376 Snell Isle Blvd. NE, St. Petersburg; early childhood 4; VPK; K-8; straphaelschool.net; (727) 821-9663