[3][4] The land where Nathan Hale High School is located today was previously occupied by the Fisher Dairy Farm and later the Meadowbrook Golf Course.

[5][8] Nathan Hale's enrollment dropped dramatically after the district-wide 1978 desegregation plan closed or reassigned many of its feeder schools.

[11] The original building underwent a major renovation between 2009 and 2011 as part of Bex III, rebuilding 75% of the school and adding a new library and synthetic turf football field.

[20] Nathan Hale has a 17,000 square foot performing arts center,[21] and its sports facilities include a football field, two gyms, and a weight room.

Nathan Hale has hosted a vocational horticulture program since the 1970s,[5] offering school year and summer classes through Seattle Skills Center.

Nathan Hale's journalism class produces the Sentinel, the school newspaper, which won first place with special merit from the National Scholastic Press Association in 1999.

[23] Bilingual students belonging to the Hale Ambassadors program attend school events to orient families and provide translation.

[24] Nathan Hale High School has a Teen Health Center run by Kaiser Permanente that provides free care to students.

The basketball team completed the 2016–17 season undefeated, defeating Garfield High School 68–51 in the class-3A state championship game in Tacoma, Washington.