The first Catholic elementary school was founded 120 years ago in Red Bluff, California by the Sisters of Mercy of Omaha.  Mercy Academy, as it was called, grew as the needs of the community grew.  Mercy High School was opened in 1959 at its present site.  The elementary school remained downtown near the church until 1965.  At that time the school became a parish school instead of a privately owned school as it had been under the Sisters of Mercy,  The elementary school opened in the fall of 1965 at its present site on Monroe Street.

Sacred Heart Parish School and Sacred Heart Parish Preschool and Daycare Center presently serve approximately 200 students in preschool and grades kindergarten through eight.  Although the School was founded primarily to serve the needs of the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, students come from throughout Tehama, Shasta, Glenn, and Butte counties.  About two thirds of the students are Catholic.  Focused around strong Catholic beliefs and tradition, the School provides parents with an academic alternative to the public schools in our area.