Finally, in June 1974, the Chicago Board of Education approved $8.9 million in funding to build a high school in Pilsen.

[4] Prior to the opening of Juarez, Pilsen area students attended Carter Harrison Technical High School.

[5] Other factors included racial tensions at Harrison itself and Pilsen parents worrying about their children getting into trouble away from their watch.

[7] Teresa Fraga, Mary Gonzales and Raquel Guerrero are the three founding mothers of Benito Juarez Community High School.

[9] Some University of Illinois Chicago students suggested naming the school after Emiliano Zapata, Che Guevara, or another revolutionary of Latin American origin,[11] but the parents were opposed to that idea.

The CPS superintendent, Joseph Hannon, attended and stated that the Juarez school represented "a community that would not take 'no' for an answer.

"[13] René Luis Alvarez, a professor at Northeastern Illinois University, stated that the school's establishment, "[i]n many ways", originated from the Chicano movement and its desire for greater recognition of Mexican-American history and identity.

[15] In 2016, Benito Juarez Community Academy in Pilsen celebrated a significant milestone as its graduates earned a remarkable $26 million in college scholarships.

These scholarships provided full tuition coverage for undergraduate and graduate degrees, offering life-changing opportunities for the recipients.

The school credited its dedicated teachers, counselors, and staff for their transformative efforts, resulting in over 100 students graduating with National Honors Society distinction that year.

This achievement reflected the ongoing success of Benito Juarez Community Academy in empowering its students and preparing them for bright futures beyond high school.

All students who were enrolled at the time of the announcement received fully-funded scholarships for Hope Chicago's 20 partner colleges, universities and other education programs across the state of Illinois.

By the end of the week, an estimated total of 4,000 students received debt-free scholarships across five different high schools also partnered with Hope Chicago.

[20][21][22] On May 9, 2024, the popular Mexican band Eslabon Armado made a surprise appearance at Juarez, distributing free tickets to students for an upcoming concert at Allstate Arena.

The artists were Malú Ortega y Alberro,[23] Jimmy Longoria, Oscar Moya, Marcos Raya, Robert Valadez, and Salvador Vega.