Designed by the architect Eric Kebbon, ground was to be broken in six months, and the school was expected to open its doors in September 1940.

[7] The school was formally dedicated on April 29, 1941 (it opened on February 3), 7 months behind schedule, but coming in under budget at a total cost of $2,550,000 (equivalent to $52,800,000 in 2023).

During his speech to the students of the newly dedicated school, he warned them to not be quitters, a subtle reference to the events of World War II brewing on the international scene.

The school's strong science program offered courses simulating a research environment similar to the one in which adult scientists worked.

[12] The rezoning was proposed to alleviate the potential overcrowding, by sending some students to the newly opened Hillcrest High School, which was also bitterly opposed by the local community.

[15] The proposal at the center of the entire controversy, the construction of a housing project, led to accusations of name calling, racism, and anti-Semitism.

[16] It was eventually cited by President Richard Nixon when declaring a federal government moratorium on building public housing.

By then, Forest Hills "had become shorthand for the racial and class tensions that underpinned much of the national debate about public housing, between its liberal advocates and its conservative opponents".

Each year, select students (typically juniors and seniors) participate in citywide Moot Court and Mock Trial competitions, demonstrating the skills they have developed in the program.

Students also have the opportunity to produce a law journal and participate in the Forest Hills Youth Court, a program run in conjunction with Queens Borough Patrol North and the District Attorney's office.

However, students who score in the top 2% on the 7th grade English Language Arts reading exam will automatically be matched to the Ed-Opt program if they listed it as their first choice.

[citation needed] Forest Hills currently competes in the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), and fields teams in many different sports.

[28] In June 1998, US President Bill Clinton cited FHHS's "academic and extra-curricular excellence", and it became one of only 124 "Blue Ribbon" schools nationwide.

In 2000, US First Lady Hillary Clinton delivered the commencement address, per invitation of Luis Miranda and Crystel Debs.

("Jack") Lew, a 1972 graduate of FHHS, was then the Clinton administration's Director of the Office of Management and Budget, having been elevated to the post two years earlier.

According to statistics provided by the New York City Department of Education, there were 3,840 students enrolled at Forest Hills for the 2014–2015 academic year.