Jordan students come from many local middle schools such as Shepard, Sherwood Githens, Lowe's Grove, Immaculata, and Rogers-Herr.

[2] Students at Jordan come from a broad swathe of southern and western Durham, covering neighborhoods of varying socio-economic backgrounds.

In 2005, Newsweek magazine ranked Jordan 192nd in its annual listing of top high schools in the United States.

[3] This study was based largely on the ratio of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate Tests taken to the number of graduating high school seniors.

[4] The Academy was created as a response to a large number of freshman retentions as 100 to 150 freshmen were retained each year, at that time.

In 1988, a new stand alone Githens Junior High School building was completed at 4800 Chapel Hill Road.

A ten-year plan calls for Jordan High School to be replaced, possibly on the current 99-acre site.