The school serves portions of Long Beach, including Bixby Knolls, and some parts of the cities of Signal Hill and Lakewood.

The PACE (Program of Accelerated Curricular Experiences, founded in 1975 by Dr. Nancy Gray,[2] a teacher and administrator for the Long Beach School system), and the CIC (Center of International Curriculum) magnet programs boast more total University of California admissions than any other high school in California.

In 2005, Sports Illustrated magazine named Polytechnic the "Sports School of the Century," in recognition of the school's badminton, baseball, basketball, football, track, cross country, swimming, water polo, volleyball, wrestling, tennis, golf, and softball teams.

[3] Long Beach Poly was also ranked number one in a list of the best high school athletic programs in the nation by Sports Illustrated.

During this same year, classes were moved to Chautauqua Hall at Fourth Street and Pine Avenue as work began on the new Long Beach High School.

In 1911, Long Beach Poly moved to the location at 16th Street and Atlantic, offering more space and amenities.

The following year, rabbits began invading the playing fields, inspiring the track team to call themselves the Jackrabbits; this eventually became the official school mascot.

During much of the 1920s, Poly was the largest high school west of the Mississippi River in terms of student population.

In 1984, Poly was recognized by USA Today as the top ranked school nationally in terms of Moore League, CIF, and state titles.

In 2005, Harvard recognized Poly as the most successful high school in the nation in terms of number of graduates.

[10] In 2019, the auditorium was renamed the Andrew Osman Performing Arts Center to honor the school's music program director of 36 years.

The PACE and CIC magnet programs are highly desired destinations for students throughout the South Bay and Northern Orange County.

[13] Poly also has the highest academic performance index of any traditional high school in Long Beach with a 2009 score of 747.

Long Beach Polytechnic offers a wide variety of sports and activities due to its large size and diverse student population.

Throughout the school's history, the Jackrabbits have won many state championships and have produced several collegiate and professional athletes.

Orian Landreth became the head coach in 1929 and won the CIF title vs. Santa Barbara High School.

A reality television on Current TV, titled 4th and Forever, focuses on the school's strong football program.

It has been called the real-life version of Friday Night Lights, but has also been derided as inaccurate and "[relying] on repetitive reality-show conventions".