In August 2007, Joppatowne became the first high school to specialize in teaching skills useful to the industries serving U.S.

[2] Mother Jones magazine reported that, funded by government agencies as well as defense firms, students in the school's "Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness magnet program will study cybersecurity and geospatial intelligence, respond to mock terror attacks, and receive limited security clearances at the nearby Army chemical warfare lab."

The school is also expected to offer lessons in Arabic and other languages useful to current US homeland security interests.

Around 12:36 pm on September 6, 2024, a 16-year-old Joppatowne student shot a 15-year-old classmate during an altercation in a bathroom.

The suspect fled the school and was caught shortly after in a nearby apartment complex, however no gun was found.