Established in 1929,[1][2] The school was located Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois and served students with severe emotional disorders.

Prior to 2010 there had been a decline in enrollment and Micah Maidenberg of the Chicago Journal wrote that "Staff and administrators at Montefiore had feared closure".

[8][9][10] Teachers and administrators in the Chicago Public Schools often used the threat of "being sent to Montefiore" as an effective disciplinary tool.

[11] On September 22, 1988, 40-year-old Clemmie Henderson shot and killed officer Irma Ruiz and wounded her partner Gregory Jaglowski in the school.

Earlier, Henderson killed two people at Comet Auto Parts before arriving at Moses Montefiore.