The school opened as Courtenay Junior Middle School in 1995, but was renamed in October 2001 in honor of Master Corporal Mark Robert Isfeld, a Canadian soldier killed in Croatia in 1994 while serving as peacekeeper.

Isfeld was known for distributing small knitted dolls made by his mother to children he met during his tours of duty.

In the late 2000s this changed to 8–12 and an existing French immersion program moved to the school.

[2] Mark R. Isfeld Senior Secondary competes in Zone E (Vancouver Island) of BC School Sports.

[3] The sports teams are:[4][better source needed][5] The school won the BC provincial championships in girls' and combined snowboarding in 2009–10.