[2] The roll of Maxwelltown High School had been steadily declining since 2002.

[3] Although attainment throughout the school was generally lower than the national averages for equivalent qualifications, this improved in later years and the school was known as being a leader in curriculum development.

The school was designed by architect Alexander Abercrombie Wilkie[5] who was at the time chief architect of Dumfries County Council Architect and Master of Works Department responsible for all council developments in the area known at the time as Dumfries County (later incorporated into Dumfries and Galloway), it was Wilkie's last major architectural design before his death in 1972.

[7][8] In recent years, the school has focused a lot of attention on social development and community integration particularly in the areas surrounding the school which have a reputation being socially problematic, having high rates of crime, antisocial behaviour, and problems with bullying inside the school.

[4] In the summer of 2018, the school closed its doors with all staff and pupils being transferred to the newly built North West Community Campus.