[5] In 1998, author Ron Suskind published the book "A Hope in the Unseen" about a Ballou High School student named Cedric Jennings.

The book was based on a series of Pulitzer-prize winning articles written in The Wall Street Journal by Suskind.

In 2003, mercury spread throughout the school, causing its closure for several weeks and the redirection of students and staff to nearby educational facilities.

[9] In February 1977, six employees from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began tutoring Ballou students in computer technology, photogrammetry, and photo science.

[10] Parents, teachers, and lawmakers expressed concerns about privacy and student recruitment after learning of the program months after it had already begun.

[13][14] The following elementary schools feed into Ballou: Garfield, Hendley, M. L. King, Leckie, Malcolm X, Patterson, Simon, and Turner.

[9] In November 2017, it came to light that Ballou's administration had graduated dozens of students despite high rates of unexcused absences.