Boise’s oldest high school came to life before Idaho reached statehood — and today, a museum honors its past.
In 1881, people living in Boise expressed the need for a public school system. This prompted territorial legislator Richard Z. Johnson to draft the bill establishing the Boise School District — and with it, a charter that remains active to this day.
That same year, in 1881, the first high school in the city was established — Boise High School. At first, students were taught on the third floor of the Central School on Jefferson and 8th Street until 1902, when students moved to the new building on Washington and 10th Streets.
Opening Boise High
While Boise High’s original building was constructed in 1902, the school added an east wing in 1908, a west wing a few years later, and an Industrial Arts building. The 1902 structure was demolished and replaced with the central building that remains standing today…