Academy High School was organized as a six-year school, a combined junior-senior high school.   The site chosen was an 11 1/4 acre tract between 26th and 29th Streets and the proposed extension of State and French Streets south of 26th.   Plans for the building were drawn by William B. Ittner of St. Louis. The main contract was awarded to the W. M. Sutherland Company of St. Louis with the proviso that they start work in June 1916.   The original funding amount was $300,000.  They were subsequently unable to pour the footers until spring of 1917.   By November 1918, Sutherland informed the the board of the need for additional funding.   In April 1919, a settlement was reached and they received an added $65,000 with a completion schedule of September 1, 1919.

Academy High School came into existence in September 1919.   It had its own principal, its own faculty and its own student activities.   However, the expectation that the building would open in September 1919 was not realized.   The City of Erie had not completed the installation of needed water and sewer lines in the extension of French and State Streets south of 26th Street.

For one year, both Academy High School and Central High School shared the facilities of Central High School.   John C. Diehl was principal of Academy and W .E. Dimorier and Charlotte Lutje were student advisors while H. E. Stone and Hattie Schabacher were student advisors at Central High.   George O. Moore was principal at Central High.

The Academy High School building opened for use in September 1920.   It was necessary to place the building on a two-session basis from September 1922 to 1924 because the building was occupied by two separate schools - Academy High School and Roosevelt Junior High School, each with its own principal.   C. W. NcNary was principal of Academy High School and C. F. Brockway was principal of Roosevelt Junior High School at the time.   The Roosevelt school building opened its doors in February 1924.

72 years later, in a reversal of Erie history, Academy High School graduated its last senior class.   At the beginning of the 1992-1993 school year, Academy High School and Technical Memorial merged to become Erie Central High School.