In the early 1990s, facing serious financial concerns and declining enrollment, Craig Norwich was hired, a decision that permanently changed the course of the school. Norwich created the model of "centers of excellence." The school owned the only ice arena in Faribault and Norwich decided to use that to its advantage to create a world-class hockey program. Jean Paul (J.P.) Parise and 1980 Gold Medal USA Olympic Hockey Team strength & conditioning coach Larry Hendrickson were also instrumental in starting the SSM Elite hockey program. The model used to build the program has been replicated and flourished under former president Nick Stoneman, and is one of the main reasons for the school's success. The "center of excellence" model has been expanded to include soccer, figure skating, golf, pre-conservatory music, bioscience, engineering, and a vocal performance program. The school has grown 50% in the last 6 years, with students from 31 countries and 39 states.