The school is operated by Mary Star of the Sea Parish under the supervision of the Department of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

It was named one of the Top 50 Catholic High Schools in America in 2006.

There is also a Mary Star of the Sea elementary in San Pedro, which was founded in 1922.

[4] The school was originally located on 8th Street and moved to a brand new campus on Taper Avenue in the fall of 2007.

On June 10, 2021, the girls' basketball team captured the school's first CIF-Southern Section sports championship with a 54–50 victory over Agoura of Agoura Hills for the Division 4-AA title in front of a large standing room only crowd at Mary Star High.