 (St. Mary's School from 1908-1951). It was located 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 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. |
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