The school was designed by the noted local architecture firm of Weaver & Drover.

[2] Phoenix Union High School District board members voted to close the school in November 1981, due to declining enrollments that has caused financial problems for the district.

[4] Parents then filed a lawsuit in an effort to keep the school open.

[4] At the time of the school's closure, the school was noted by an article in The Arizona Republic to have an almost evenly divided enrollment of African Americans, "Hispanics",[5] and White Americans.

[4] The school's basketball program was considered to be a giant among the state's boys' basketball teams from 1969 to 1982, winning five big-schools state championships, one runner-up, two semifinals and five quarterfinals teams, under coach Royce Youree.