The change was influenced by the U.S. Supreme Court decision Tinker v. Des Moines, which stated that students do not "shed their constitutional rights... at the school house door."

[5] In the 1980s, enrollment decreased considerably to about 2,200 students, largely due to the aging demographic in Arcadia.

[5] A $218 million bond measure was passed on the November 7, 2006, election ballot for the purpose of upgrading and repairing Arcadia schools.

A large part of local property taxes are absorbed by the state, and Arcadia is the lowest-funded unified school district in Los Angeles County.

The two-story structure includes general and special education classrooms, three computer labs, a television studio, graphic design and digital photography classrooms, and the high school's career center and health, counseling, and administrative offices.

The two-story center includes chemistry labs with preparation areas and collegiate-style biology and physics classrooms separated by lecture rooms.

[7] The 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) Arcadia High School Performing Arts Center is located at the northwest corner of the campus.

The commission holds fundraisers and drives for the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Cibecue, Arizona, and monitors the school's use of Native American motifs.

[15] Arcadia High School is governed by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section as a member of the Pacific League.

The boys compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and badminton.

The girls compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, badminton, and water polo.

In 2012, the boys cross country team won another state championship, led by Estevan De La Rosa.

[18] The Boys Track team has also been successful from 2005, winning over 90% of its meets and three league championships in a row, (2005–07).

[20] The meet has witnessed high school records being broken and has featured future Olympians Quincy Watts, Steve Lewis, Danny Everett, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Gail Devers, Mike Powell, Michael Marsh, Marion Jones, Allyson Felix, Monique Henderson, Deena Kastor, Michelle Perry, Alan Webb, Cathy Freeman from Australia, Bryshon Nellum and other athletic stars such as USC and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods, USC wide receiver Marqise Lee, George Farmer, De'Anthony Thomas, George Atkins III, and Remontay McClain.

[28][better source needed] In 2013, the Arcadia High School Theatre Department took home the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California (DTASC) Sweepstakes Trophy.

[29][better source needed] The Marching Band and Color Guard was selected to perform in the nationally televised 2019 Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade[30] and the 2022 Rose Parade in nearby Pasadena, California on New Year's Day.