Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools (GTACS) is a parochial school system serving just over 1,000 students in the Traverse City, Michigan area. It is a ministry of five local parishes – Christ the King, Immaculate Conception, St. Francis, St. Joseph and St. Patrick and the Diocese of Gaylord.
Faith and Reason
Our educational mission is clear: “Education must develop what is best in man, and make him not only clever, but also good.” (Bishops in Baltimore, 1884) To guide us, we rely on the Gospel and on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Mission Statement
Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools are dedicated to providing a Catholic education ensuring educational quality for all families willing to enter into a partnership to develop each child to his or her fullest spiritual and academic potential.
At-A-Glance
- Enrollment of approximately 1,000 students (preschool through high school)
- Class ratios 19:5 (6-8) and 21:1 (9-12)
- The St. Francis Class of 2017 had an composite average ACT score of 26.4 versus the national average of 21.0
- Catholic Education Honor Roll 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2012-13, and 2014
- Ranked 11th in state (2nd among private/parochial schools) on America’s Most Challenging High Schools list
- 98% of high schoolers go on to post-secondary education
- 81% of upperclassmen take at least one AP course
- 40% of high school students dual enroll at Northwestern Michigan College
- 51% achieve National Honor Society membership
- 98% of high school student participate in sports or other extracurricular activities
- About 10% of students are non-Catholic
Visit Us
The best way to see what makes us unique is to visit! We offer 1-hour open houses for anyone interested in learning more about our schools. Refer to the schedule and then email us to register. Can’t visit? Call us at 231 995-8425.