in the year 1852, the anglo-vernacular school was set up at sambalpur. it was housed in a building (with stone-and-mud walls and stone-and-lime floor) constructed near the raja-palace (rajabakhri): that site now houses the lady lewis girls' high school. eventually, out of the anglo-vernacular school, the zilla school emerged in 1864. in the year 1952, the school was renamed as chandra sekhar behera zilla school, to commemorate the contributions of a renowned socio-cultural savant and freedom-fighter : chandra sekhar behera (1873–1936). the school moved into its new building in 1954. in 2017, a statue of a. p. j. abdul kalam was erected in the school premises.