The school traces its history to a segregation academy founded by the White Citizens Council.

[1] Hillcrest was established in 1970 as a segregation academy in response to the court-ordered integration of public schools.

[1] In 1985, W.J Simmons, chair of the state White Citizens Council, discussed the history of the school with Clarion-Ledger.

[2] In 1987 the school refused to play a B team football game because the opponent, Natchez Trace, had a Black player.

[3] The current campus was originally known as Council McCluer, which was a separate school opened the same year as Hillcrest.