Decatur High offers technical, academic, and Advanced Placement (AP) programs, as well as dual enrollment with the John C. Calhoun Community College System.

The stadium, owned by the school system,[3] is named for Alabama Sports Hall of Famer and former Decatur High coach H. L. "Shorty" Ogle, who led the Red Raiders from 1933 to 1963.

This football game usually sold out the stadium, and brought in crowds of over 10,000, in a city of perhaps 40,000 to 50,000 population, to watch the intra-city rivalry.

[citation needed] Decatur High has produced many players that went on to play at the collegiate and professional levels, including Jerraud Powers and Rolando McClain.

The Decatur High School girls' soccer team defeated Briarwood Christian of Birmingham in the class 5A Alabama State Championship game on May 10, 2008.

Students in the IB Archived June 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine and AP Art courses have scored above the world average for the past two years.

NAHS members at Decatur High School complete art-related service hours for the Carnegie Visual Arts Center and to create ceramic bowls to raise money for North Alabama food pantries.

Decatur High School students participate annually in various city, state, and national competitions.

The Decatur High School's Chorus and Concert Bands have consistently received superior ratings in both district and state festivals.