[9] The show discussed Harper High School's lack of computers and other essential learning tools for its students.

[10] On July 9, 2012, Harper High School was the focus of a 2012 WBEZ report[11] concerning the 29 past and present students who were casualties of gun violence in the preceding 13 months.

The school was subsequently the subject of a two-episode, five-month immersive investigation by This American Life that aired on February 15 and 22, 2013, focusing on gun violence and the lives of students;[12] the series earned a Peabody Award.

[13] On April 22, 2013, two Harper senior students; Devonte Tanner and Brittney Knight, won Bill Gates Millennium Scholarships.

Instead, a fire department spokesman says the smell appears to be coming from sewer gas, and sanitation crews had been doing work.

[15] On February 12, 2018, the Chicago Board of Education decided to phase out and ultimately close Harper[16][17] along with three other neighborhood high schools due to numerous reasons including low–enrollment, poor academic performance, lack of courses offerings for students and operational costs of the buildings.

[19] Harper competed in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and was a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).