The first school in Rossland was established in the Methodist Church in the fall of 1895 with 50 pupils in attendance. By December attendance had grown to 98 pupils. In August 1896, a small two room school was constructed on Kootenay Avenue housing 143 pupils in eleven classes. In 1898, the Province constructed Central School on Kootenay Avenue at the corner of St. Paul and Monte Christo Streets. It had eight classrooms. It was destroyed by fire in 1917.