(PUEBLO, Colo.) — Breathing new life into Pueblo’s oldest school, the new Centennial High School was officially welcomed into the community with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, May 22.

The legacy of Centennial High School has roots dating back to 1876, making it Pueblo’s oldest school, according to School District 60’s spokesperson, Dalton Sprouse. It’s the year Colorado was admitted to the union.

“The founding graduating class of Centennial High School back in 1876, laid down that foundation of excellence and it’s our job to continue,” said Centennial High School’s Principal, David Craddock. “Nothing says that better than this awesome new building with these awesome students.”

In 2019, a community of voters approved a $74 million bond to help build this brand new educational future for Pueblo.

“Pueblo rose to the challenge. They voted for the first time in a long time for a bond for these much-needed schools,” stated Principal Craddock. “I think everybody will see exactly that their dollars were spent for the future of Pueblo, Colorado, and in this case, Centennial High School.”

In nearly 150 years, this is only the fourth school to be built in Centennial High’s history, complete with new classrooms dedicated to specific programs like construction, business marketing, Bulldog TV and Podcast, and more.

“Go into our health academy and it’s like walking into a doctor’s office or a hospital. So they’re learning and they’re using real-world applications in the setting that they’ll actually be working in,” said Principal Craddock.

This adds a new chapter into the history books of Centennial High.

“We’ll definitely miss parts of the old school. Won’t miss the bats, the snakes, the scorpions, the raccoons, the Miller moths that we were invaded with. So it’s nice to be in a new building,” said Principal Craddock.