About Niagara District Secondary School

Secondary education in Niagara started at the Niagara County Grammar School, which was established in 1808 and closed in 1946 because of overcrowded conditions. The town and township of Niagara then had to pay for student's secondary education at either Niagara Falls Collegiate or Stamford Collegiate. In 1952, Stamford Collegiate notified the town and township that overcrowding prohibited the taking of any more grade 9 students.

Although Niagara Falls Collegiate continued to accept students from Niagara for the following years, the cost to the local school board was $345 per academic student and $460 for vocational students. The local school board began to take steps towards building a high school to serve the Niagara Township.

Many meetings were held in 1954 regarding possible sites for the school, with the board unanimously passing a resolution approving the purchase of a 15 acre piece of land at the south-east corner of Niagara Stone Road and East West Line. The land was purchased from Charles John Greaves for $11,250. The township of Niagara paid 30% of the cost and the remaining 70% was paid by the Town of Niagara. Later that year approval was given by the Ministry of Education to build a 15-room school.

Work on the building started in September 1955 and 1 year later classes started, although the building was not complete. On April 29, 1957 W.S. Dunlop, then Minister of Education, officially opened Niagara District High School. The school, designed for 430 students consisted of seven classrooms, an art room, music room, library, science room, agricultural room, cafeteria, home economics room and spacious gymnasium.

Additions were completed during the years from 1959 to 1963 consisting of an industrial arts room, more classrooms, typing and business rooms, a laboratory, drafting room, auto and machine shops and occupational training shops for both boys and girls. In 1967 a small gymnasium was added to the rear of the existing team room, and eight new classrooms were added on two floors. Three new commercial rooms and a greenhouse were also added, along with a new electronics shop. A new library and offices were built on the front of the school, and the cafeteria was extended.

And that is how the school looks today, 50 years since it opened its doors.