In the early 1900s, two schools near downtown Lethbridge were named with reference to their location. Built in 1891, fifteen years prior to the incorporation of the City of Lethbridge, the first was Central School. The small school was the only one that served secondary students in the Lethbridge area. In 1909, Central School closed and secondary education classes moved into a vacated building on 5 Avenue. The school became too crowded in the mid-1920s, and a struggle began between the school board and the city to have a new school constructed.