Burlington Public School history

The Educational Directory for 1905-06 tabbed school enrollment at 290.

The old building was torn down and the new one opened in 1912 housing students from kindergarten to matriculation.

In 1919 the town began providing free textbooks.

By 1927 the enrolment had increased to 273 students and the original school could no longer accommodate those numbers.

In September 1946, Burlington witnessed the inauguration of a system of free rural transportation that enabled the enrolment of students who would have otherwise been forced to forego a secondary education.

The one-room schoolhouses closed in 1948, and the Burlington Consolidated School (now Town Hall) opened for the 1948/49 school year.

By 1955, the high school had a brand new wing of 12 rooms equipped with 2 new Science labs.

Aging and outdated learning spaces:• Does not meet “Collaborative High-Performance School Standards”• 1960’s classrooms• Science labs insufficient for larger class sizes• STEM equipment in need of replacement

Originally opened as Burlington High School, the school would be known over the decades by various names – Burlington District High School, Burlington-­‐Nelson District High School and, beginning in 1961, Burlington Central High School.

Check out this story about the class of 1964, the final to graduate from Edmunds High School.

Note: For a period, until 1965, Burlington High School was named Edmunds High School.

After his death in 1971, the High School changed its name to West Burlington Arnold High School in honor of its founder.

Har-Bur Middle School opened in 1973.

By the late 1980s the tables had turned. Therefore, beginning in 1987, Central Public’s Grade 7 and 8 students were housed in the high school.

In 1988, Michael Leahy, the son of Vermont's United States Senator Patrick Leahy, graduated from BHS and reflected in the pages of the "Oread" on what it was like growing up with a famous dad.

Historical Information (2008 on): Infrastructure Planning History and Burlington High School Process

However, spearheaded by Department Head Todd Ford, Burlington Central raised funds through community donations and fundraisers to upgrade the auditorium with new seats and equipment in 2012.

In April 2018, the School Board accepted the ReEnvisioning Committee’s recommendation to the superintendent of expansion and renovation with partial demolition.