St. Stephen's Episcopal School is a private coeducational preparatory boarding and day school in Austin, Texas. Enrollment is approximately 665, with roughly 460 in Grades 9–12 and 205 in Grades 6–8. Its campus overlooking Lake Austin is spread over 370 acres (1.5 km2) of the Texas Hill Country.Bishop John E. Hines of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas founded St. Stephen's Episcopal School in 1950 with the support of the Episcopal Church. He was once quoted as saying that it was the duty of Christians "to live on the bleeding edge of the human dilemma, and to bear the exquisite penalty of such an exposed position." Cast in the image of these leaders, the school has played a minor part in the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement as the first co-ed Episcopal school in the United States and the first integrated boarding school in the South.[not in citation given]The early years of the school were marked by internal and external struggles. Although situated today at the western edge of the city of Austin and surrounded by affluent housing developments, for many years the school was quite isolated from the outside world. A number of the early buildings at the school were constructed by local "cedar choppers," with the assistance of students and staff members, using locally-available materials. This rugged environment led students to nickname themselves "Spartans," which became the school's mascot.