A school was first built on the Salmon Arm Elementary School site on Shuswap Ave in 1901 with 20 students in attendance. The building eventually became the city hall. A second school was built on Harris Street in 1909. With pressures of increased enrollment, a new high school, Salmon Arm Central School, was built on the Shuswap property in 1921. Nine new classrooms and an office were added in 1936. In 1967 two more classes, a library and the gymnasium were added.

The Salmon Arm Elementary School Parent Advisory Council was set up to facilitate communication between parents and teachers, advising administration on school matters. It is a member of the British Columbia Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC) which is a non-profit that advocates for the best possible public education of all children in the province through active involvement of parents. The last SAE PAC executive included President: Pam Treleaven, Co-Chair Angelie Byers, Treasurer: Nyla MacKintosh, Secretary Eileen Kuchta and Mel Styles as principal.;Due to declining enrollment, the Salmon Arm Elementary School closed in June 2003. During the year leading up to the schools closure, an active campaign was carried out through the Parent Advisory Council. Although no longer a school, in 2008 the building houses the Downtown Activity Centre.