[9] The original Forest Avenue High School was constructed in 1916 in the style of Italian Renaissance architecture, in what were then fast-growing suburban areas of Dallas.

The building is on the United States National Register of Historic Places on the basis of its architecture as well as its importance in the growing South Dallas community over the period ending with the close of World War II in 1945.

Beginning in the late 1940s, the demographics of the surrounding community shifted as large numbers of African-Americans moved into the area.

[11] The following day, the front page of The Dallas Morning News reported the criticism of the Texas Field Secretary of the NAACP, Edgar Washington, Jr., of the district's decision to turn over the school rather than to integrate.

"[17] The ethnic makeup of the school is 58% African American, 40% Hispanic, 1% White American, non-Hispanic, and 1% other races, including Asian and mixed race [18] In 2011 2% of the black students received a "criterion" or passing grade, as defined by the State of Texas, in SAT and/or ACT.