The first San Miguel campus opened in 1995 in the historic Back of the Yards neighborhood and serves 80 Latino students in grades 6 through 8. In 2002, the Gary Comer Campus was founded in the Austin neighborhood and serves 110 African American students in grades 5 through 8.  The Family and Graduate Support Program at these campuses supports nearly 200 students in high school. 

To transform lives and neighborhoods: this is the San Miguel Schools' mission. San Miguel is committed to equipping Latino and African American youth with the resources to excel academically, socially, and spiritually.  The services provided by San Miguel include:

• Middle school education - two quality middle schools for students in the 5^th through 8^th grades.  San Miguel specifically targets academically underachieving, low income, at risk students and provides them with a model of education that includes extended day schedule and year-round calendar, individualized instruction with a 10:1 student teacher ratio, and strong parental involvement.
  
  
• Graduate support - academic support, youth development activities, leadership opportunities, financial assistance, and college readiness to nearly 200 alumni in the 9^th through 12^th grades. 
  
  
• Family support - educational opportunities for adults, clinical counseling for students and their families, and increased collaboration among other neighborhood organizations to promote development in the Back of the Yards and Austin areas.

Students are accepted into San Miguel based on three main criteria: academic underperformance, financial need, and living in proximity to the schools.