The current building opened in 1996 serving Native American students from 92 different bands which comprise the Puyallup tribe of Indians.

It is the largest[citation needed] Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-affiliated school.

[4] The older building, built in 1941, was five stories tall and made of concrete, and had previously been a hospital and a juvenile detention facility.

[14] Previously the school admitted students who were not enrolled members of Native American tribes, but in 2016 it began dismissing them.

The editorial board of The News Tribune argued that the administration should have notified students in a more timely member that their enrollment was being canceled.

It also criticized the school for turning away students who were in the process of obtaining tribal membership.

[16] In 1997 its test scores were on the lower end of Washington State test scores, despite higher per-student spending compared to several area school districts.