Kenmore Junior Senior High marks 100 years with public centennial celebration Sept. 26

Kenmore Junior Senior High will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a free public event on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the district announced at the Board of Education meeting on Sept. 10. District staff invited the public to tour historical displays, hear student performances and review archival materials recovered from the building.

The presentation at the meeting was led by Kevin Krueger, who traced the building’s origin to a community referendum in 1923 and said the school “is turning 100.” Krueger told trustees the structure opened in November 1924 and that the original project cost about $495,000, paid in 30 equal installments of $16,500. He noted the building was designed to house grades 7–12 and that early plans included amenities such as a pool and an auditorium that seated more than 1,000 people.

Krueger described the district’s recent archival work: staff discovered a box of original proposals, photos and programs in the auditorium balcony and have scanned the documents for preservation and display. He said the district will exhibit historic yearbook photos, old athletic memorabilia and original floor-plan diagrams during the centennial celebration.

The meeting presentation also highlighted the school’s evolving uses and identities across a century — including additions made in 1929, transitions to a middle school and, more recently, the reestablishment of Kenmore Junior Senior High in 2023. Krueger said the building today hosts innovative programs such as Big Picture and Crossroads Academy and that enrollment in those programs has grown from about 60 students to roughly 185–190.

Organizers named in the presentation included Patrick Fanelli and Paul Davies, who helped gather artifacts and scan materials, and Andrew Fick, who assisted with logistics. The district asked the community to spread the word about the event; Krueger said the evening will include music from students from Kenmore West and Kenmore East, light refreshments and guided tours of the facility.

A board member suggested adding a period costume element to the evening — proposing that a presenter portray the original principal as a way to animate the building’s history — an idea the presenters and volunteers said they would explore. The event is free and open to the public; the school and the board encouraged alumni and neighbors to attend.

The centennial celebration is scheduled for Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; the Board of Education recessed after the presentation and recognitions.