The facility was intended to alleviate overcrowding at Midland High School and construction of the 270,000-square-foot (25,000 m2) building was completed in 1968 at a cost of $9,172,303.

Nearly two-thirds of the instructors held a master's degree or higher and all were "highly qualified" for their teaching assignments.

[11][12] Dow High School fields teams for cross country, football, soccer, golf, swimming, tennis, volleyball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, hockey, wrestling, baseball, lacrosse, softball, track and gymnastics.

[13] The school's athletic teams compete in the Saginaw Valley League, MHSAA.

[16] The school offers more than 55 co-curricular clubs and activities open to students depending on level of interest, including student government, Model United Nations, debate, quiz bowl, mathematics competitions, community service, and language clubs.

[1] The 2016 school improvement plan states that Dow Chemical Company is the major area employer and has been downsizing since 2012, resulting in a decrease of 160 students.