In February of 1989 the school became an active ministry of the parish with a separate 501C3 non-profit incorporation and separate finances. St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Wimberley (SSES) was established in 1989 to provide a safe, nurturing, Christian environment in an academic school setting focused on individual student needs and higher order thinking. People of vision and faith donated the land and buildings and school opened its doors under the leadership of Headmistress Mary Claire Dodson will 11 faculty and 56 students in September 1989 for students PK2 through First grade. Importantly, the original gifts from the Burdine Johnson Foundation allowed the school to be established debt and want-free. The school was built to incorporate daily outdoor learning with playgrounds designed by international playground expert Dr. Joe Frost.

           Carol Scheel became Director in 1990 and we began our second year with 65 children. In February of 1992, Lynda McCrocklin became Director and out library is named in her honor. From 1998-2003 Milam "Mike" Jones served as Headmaster. Under his leadership, the school added a middle school. In 1998 the school was accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. As the school grew, multi-age and centers based settings were created for classes with the expectations of experiential learning and college preparation. By 1999, under the leadership of Headmaster Milam Jones, the school had grown to include PK2 through Sixth grade with 165 students.  In 2000 the school was accredited by the Southwestern Association of Episcopal School and dropped its NAEYC affiliation. In that same year a new gym was built with a gift from the Burdine Johnson Foundation and we graduated our first 8^th grade class of 11 students. Beginning in the fall of 2001, the school offered classes for 2-year-olds through 8th grade.  In 2002 the school enrollment peaked at 220 students and the Burdine Johnson Foundation continued to make up the school’s operational balance with a significant annual operational gift.  New classrooms, covered walkways, a library, a computer lab and a gymnasium were added to the campus. With the help of the Burdine Johnson Foundation.  Patti Pipkin Hood served as interim head of school for the 2003-04 school year and the school’s enrollment was 170.In July 2004, Richard T. Stark began his six year tenure as Headmaster with an enrollment of 37, and by August we began school with 153.  Daily chapel, a school honor code, and a 3-season after school program was initiated in 2004. Enrollment grew to 170 which was maintained until 2008 when it fell to 125, followed by 83 students in 2009. In the spring of 2008, rather than making an operational gift, the Burdine Johnson Foundation made a gift to retire the gym debt and the Brown Foundation in concert with an Anonymous Friend filled the operational gap. From 2007-2010 The Brown Foundation and Anonymous Friends have continued give significant annual gifts to SSES to make up the school’s needs and annual operational deficit. During this time, and with help from The Brown Foundation and Anonymous Friends, the school revised its teacher development and evaluation program, created a standardized academic exit and entrance expectation document, revised its admissions process and re-tooled its core academic program with new math, language arts, and science curriculum. The school technology initiative that began in 2004 was funded by the Burdine Johnson Foundation and Bullion Direct resulted in an all-campus digital network, new student laptops and desktops for all teachers, and new computers in the lab.  Over the past 6 years the school has also fortified its commitment to experiential learning with a revised PK2-3 playground, a new aviary, new gardens, and a field-school component which includes water quality monitoring and archaeology.

            In the fall of 2009 the school board named Sam Sockwell as the upcoming Headmaster for the 2009-2010 academic year. As well, in an effort to consolidate resources and focus on strengths the school will reduce to a PK-5^th grade in the fall of 2010. Though the school is currently small we feel that we are stronger than ever and remain mission driven with a committed board, an outstanding faculty, and dedicated families. Through the combined vision and determination of the church and school community, we seek to provide an exceptional education for children from Wimberley, Driftwood and surrounding communities.