New Westminster Secondary School 4.48

New Westminster Secondary School is a secondary school in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the largest high schools in British Columbia. Enrollment of students is open to those within grades 9 through 12. The school is home to various advanced programs such as the International Baccalaureate program, the Advanced Placement program, and is also home to facilities such as an Automotive shop, and plumbing apprenticeship workshop. In 2007, the Fraser Institute ranked the school well within the top 50 secondary schools in British Columbia. This was out of the 279 public and private secondary schools operating in the province. The School is located in Metro Vancouver in BC's Lower Mainland region while the campus is centrally located within the region on the north side of the city of New Westminster. It encompasses an area of three city blocks by two city blocks.HistoryPrior to the 1860s the site of the present school was a public cemetery where many of the prominent citizens of New Westminster were interred. After development in the 1870s the remains of those buried were transferred to the Fraser Cemetery, located elsewhere in the city. During the Second World War the corner of 10th Avenue and 8th, where the present school is located, was leased to the Federal Government. The site served as a soldiers' barracks, used for training and housing the Royal Westminster Regiment. After World War II, the barracks were moved to the University of British Columbia and the rest of the cemetery was demolished. Finally, in 1948 The public works yard was moved and the site was transferred to the New Westminster School Board for the construction of offices and a new high school.