Designed by architect Edgar Blair in a neo-Classical style, it was constructed of reinforced concrete and sited on 2.2 acres (0.9 ha).

[2] In 1986, the Seattle School Board voted to tear down the building, in part due to the cost of required seismic upgrades, which resulted in major protests by students, alumni, and the public.

[2][3] As part of a major renovation by Bassetti Architects in 1988–90, the 1958 addition was demolished, the school was seismically upgraded and historically restored.

By combining accounting, social studies, and language arts, the Academy of Finance develops skills needed in the business environment.

The John Stanford Public Service and Political Science Academy (PSA), founded in 2000, is a college preparatory small learning community (SLC) that offers students a rigorous 3 year academic program that meets and exceeds state standards for Language Arts and Social Studies.

State standards in LA and Social Studies are overlaid with an emphasis on the role of the public sector in societies, past and present.