In 1999, there were approximately 70 computers across the Sisters’ campus. There were no websites or wireless networks. By 2016, the campus hosted 600 computers, 175 wireless access points, five websites, 13 social media sites, 100 security cameras and, on any given day, 900 simultaneous wireless devices, plus 50 servers (30 physical; 20 virtual) and four internet connections with a speed of 1.2 Gbps (gigabits per second). In 2006, Sister Adele Marie Altenhofen became the first president of the SSMO Ministries Corporation. The corporation provides the services that support the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and their sponsored ministries: Maryville, Valley Catholic School and the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Foundation. Those services include communications and marketing, facilities (maintenance and custodial service), finance, human resources, information technology and strategic planning.
The pace of construction and growth was unparalleled. In 2008, all of the campus schools were unified as Valley Catholic School, Oregon’s only pre-kindergarten through 12th grade Catholic educational system. By 2016, Valley Catholic was welcoming approximately 1,000 students each day. As the Sisters celebrated their 125th anniversary in 2011, the new elementary and middle school was dedicated and students in kindergarten through fifth grade moved out of the classrooms in the west wing of the SSMO Motherhouse.
Kelly Auditorium welcomes audiences for special events, music and theater, including a sold-out production of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”
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Completed in 2011, the Valley Catholic Elementary and Middle School building earned a LEED gold certification for its commitment to environmental quality. Wood from a 200-year-old oak tree on the school site was incorporated into wall paneling and chapel doors and furniture.
Students and faculty saw enhancements in academics, athletics and the arts: the opening of the Valley Catholic Athletic Center, lights on the athletic field, a grandstand and field house, enhancements to Kelly Auditorium and the opening of a new science building.