History
Established in 1926 by Arthur Gulliver in Miami’s residential Coconut Grove section, Gulliver Academy initially enrolled students from New England who were wintering in South Florida. Many parents saw Gulliver as a twin school to prestigious eastern academies in curriculum and focus. Thus, it seemed a natural choice for academic and character education as well as a laboratory for exploring the region’s exciting natural environment.
The most formative episode in Gulliver’s history was the purchasing of the school by Marian Krutulis in late 1953. A Miami pioneer in exploring the maze of problems faced by youngsters, both in terms of their learning styles and educational challenges, Mrs. Krutulis envisioned Gulliver as a grand school home where everyone, both students and teachers, would feel part of a caring, challenging family of learners. As a result, Mrs. Krutulis came to personify independent education in Florida and to represent the educational reality that care, strength, and candor can generate success and high self-esteem for children.
In 1967, Mrs. Krutulis moved the school to South Dade, an area that would soon undergo a major population explosion. Centered in Coral Gables, there are five campuses today, each serving a specific age group or targeting a particular student interest or need. Gulliver Academy serves pre-kindergarten through grade eight students. Gulliver South Miami Campus, which commenced operations in 1994, provides a gymnastic program for senior kindergarten through the grade four. Gulliver Preparatory, opened in 1975, serves advanced students in grades nine through twelve. Gulliver’s Pinecrest Middle and Preparatory Pinecrest Campuses offer smaller classes and alternative teaching and learning styles to students in grades five through eight and nine through twelve, respectively.
Extracurricular activities are limited only by the bounds of student creativity at all levels. Both community service organizations and interest groups thrive on all campuses. Gulliver’s athletic program has achieved success at all levels of competition, including the State of Florida, and has been named by The Miami Herald as the Best Small Athletic Program in the area. Recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, Gulliver continues to focus on Marian Krutulis’ vision: maximize the students’ academic potential; maintain their bodies’ health; and train them to become people of integrity in everything they say and do.
In 2000, after 47 years of growth and advancement as one of the most successful for-profit private schools in Florida, Gulliver Schools became a 501(c) (3) non-profit institution. As a 501(c) (3), Gulliver would be able to address the community’s concerns regarding physical growth – not necessarily student population growth, rather facility and program enhancement. The school’s not-for profit status allows potential donors all of the tax benefits provided by the IRS to the full extent allowed by law, and allows its stakeholders to contribute to multiple projects and enhancements simultaneously. The school’s Board of Trustees has the responsibility for the governance of Gulliver Schools. In order to ensure the perpetuity of the vision, mission, philosophy, and academic standards of the school, the Board has contracted School Management Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation owned and operated by John Krutulis, which is responsible for the full and complete administration and day-to-day operations of the school.
In the spring of 2008, Mrs. Krutulis transitioned into an “emeritus” status, and her son, John Krutulis, became Gulliver’s Head of School. The position of Provost was added, and the school was reorganized into six functional areas – Academics, Human Resources, Finance, Facilities and Construction, Risk Management and Operations, Advancement – with a Senior Director overseeing each area. Collectively, this group, under John Krutulis’ direction, forms the school’s Senior Management Team.
Translate