Because of the cost and the fact that it was considered an overly large structure, the Central High School Board was criticized.

Mayor Moses Alexander stated Boise High School was "where the rich and the poor meet on terms of equality" (qtd.

Little, later the Superintendent of Buildings and grounds, complained, "...the class rooms were not properly lighted..." and "...they used acme plaster for the basement floors instead of Portland cement.

The domestic science courses at the high school can be credited to Marguerite Nolan, wife of former Boise Mayor Herbert Lemp.

[12] In the basement below the newly constructed wing was an underground gymnasium, where students played various sports such as basketball and even baseball.

[9] Despite the emphasis on boys' access to physical activity, Boise High's first girls basketball team, consisting of 7 members, was formed in 1907, even before the construction of the gymnasium.

"Not only did students often find themselves drilling daily, but on Saturdays, the teachers were also put through a similar course of instruction" (qtd.

Because the high school Cadets were denied federal funding for ROTC, they purchased their own uniforms and some equipment and convinced the NCO at the local barracks to train them.

With a domestic science division and a spacious cafeteria, this section was designed for Boise High School girls.

They produced dangerous high-pressure steam, so the heating plant was placed in a reinforced basement chamber between the Red Brick Building and the west wing, so it was separate from other structures.

The smoke was said to be "entirely and absolutely consumed by the fire, which is a wise precaution...as the building now being constructed is in the residential section of the city and hence will not now become a nuisance to adjoining property owners" (qtd.

The School Board wanted to demolish it and replace it with a new central wing, but when space became scarce by the late 1910s, they decided to postpone the plan.

An Idaho Statesman article from 1921 boasted, "When finished, Boise will have one of the largest as well as the most completely equipped secondary schools in the northwest.

Already the Industrial Arts building has made possible the addition of many vocational courses, ranging from printing to costume design, not usually found in the average high school" (qtd.

According to Dean M. Worbois, author of Temple of Liberty: Boise High School Defines a Frontier Town, "The central wing of the new white brick building completed the architect's concept of a grand, classical environment dedicated to learning.

A massive stairway invites entry...A bust of Plato is surrounded, in Greek, with his Civic Virtues: Wisdom, Courage, Justice and Moderation.

Still standing today, this gymnasium replaced a small gym located in the basement of the east wing of the main building.

The two residential blocks west of the main building were bought in 1960 and converted into a football, tennis and track field.

To alleviate the booming student body, two new high schools were built in the city: Borah in the southwest opened in 1958 and Capital in the north in 1965.

This began forcing some classes at Boise High to close, and also pushed the school to occupy a nearby office building for extra classrooms (called the PERSI Building), and to bring in a number of portable classrooms that were placed in a faculty parking lot adjacent to the school's track and field.

Although later found unsubstantiated, at the time it was believed ceiling cracks and falling plaster in the auditorium may have been an asbestos hazard.

The Frank Church Building of Technology, named after the senator, a 1942 Boise High graduate, was also completed.

The change came after the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe wrote the Idaho Legislature, asking it to ban all Native American mascots from state schools.

[20] The new logo includes a shield centered around the letter “B” with a Greek column along its spine, representing strength and support with a nod to the school’s architecture.

Surrounding the letter are four Greek words carved above the entrance to Boise High, which translate to wisdom, justice, temperance and courage.

Olive laurels, which are historic symbols of victory from civics to academics to athletics, surround the entire logo.

[23] Sanctioned sports are volleyball, cross country, basketball, baseball, track and field, football, soccer, wrestling, softball, golf, and tennis.

[24] For decades, varsity football games were played at Bronco Stadium at Boise State University.

Boise High played football at this site in the first half of the 20th century, when it was known as "Public School Field."

Boise High has over forty student organizations with focuses involving community service, politics, academic subjects, tutoring, and hobbies.