Sacred Heart Catholic School

Sacred Heart Catholic School

a community of faith and learning.

History

This is the original St. Mary's Building as it stood in 1865.

St. Mary's School as on 11th and Ivy 1952.

This building later became the present day

Sacred Heart Catholic School.

St. Mary's School from

1908-1951 on

12th and Holly Street.

This was a boarding and day school.

Sacred Heart Catholic School was also known as St. Mary’s Academy. It was established in 1865 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in the historical town of Jacksonville just 5 miles west of Medford.
As progress in the valley continued and the population increased, the courthouse was moved from Jacksonville to Medford then becoming the central hub of the Rogue Valley. St. Mary’s Academy followed suit and moved from Jacksonville into Medford to the corner of 13th and Holly Streets. Years later a second building was required to accommodate the more than 300 students attending at that time.
St. Mary’s Academy provided an excellent Catholic based education for many years. In 1956, a new location on Ivy Street also provided an opportunity to change the name to Sacred Heart School. At that time St. Mary’s High School was formed for grades 9 through 12.
Although we are no longer a mission school of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, we are one of two Parish schools established by the Archdiocese of Portland in the Rogue Valley.
Many generations of children have passed through our hallowed halls, earning an outstanding education of “faith-based academic excellence.” Such an education has taught them the value of tremendous stewardship in our parish, school and community.
We feel honored to continue to provide the Mission of a faith-based education that the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and May fist instilled in this valley 144 years ago.

Sacred Heart Catholic School is a pre-kindergarten through 8th grade school servicing the needs of 350 students, their parents, and the parish community. Established in 1865 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, Sacred Heart Catholic School has a long and rich history in the Rogue Valley.

It began in 1865 when Fr. Francois Blanchet, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Jacksonville and nephew of Oregon’s first Archbishop, promoted the idea of starting a Catholic school for the children of the pioneering families. Fr. Blanchet sent word to the Sisters of Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in Portland, inviting them to come and teach. The sisters responded and in September of 1865 St. Mary’s Academy was born. In 1908 the sisters moved the school to its present location on 12th and Holly streets in Medford. The school was both a boarding and day school and served the needs of the families in Medford, Jacksonville, and neighboring towns. In 1949, Sacred Heart Parish purchased the school and began building the present facility on 11th and Ivy, which opened in 1951 as St. Mary’s school for students grades 1st-12th.

During the 1950’s, enrollment at St. Mary’s grew exponentially, and in 1960 Sacred Heart Parish decided to split the high school and the elementary school. In 1961, St. Mary’s High School was built at its present location on Black Oak Dr., and the elementary school at the Ivy location was renamed Sacred Heart Catholic School. Up until the early 1980’s, the Sisters of Holy Names continued to have a strong presence at Sacred Heart. In 1984, Sacred Heart hired their first lay principal, and only one sister remained. On March 3, 1987, a fire destroyed Sacred Heart Catholic School. The community quickly mobilized and rebuilt the school. In September of 1987, the school reopened as a stronger, more modern facility ready to serve the needs of the students and families of the Rogue Valley.

The mission of Sacred Heart Catholic School is to provide an excellent academic education grounded in Catholic religious principles and values, thereby creating a lifelong love of learning and a respect for each person and all creation as gifts of God. Our philosophy affirms parents as the primary teachers of their children, and our curriculum is designed for the education of the whole Christian person providing a student-centered environment in which each child can develop to full individual potential, academically, physically, and culturally.