The school operates under the terms of a charter granted by the New Jersey Department of Education granted in 2003, with authority to open in September 2004 with up to 178 students in grades six through nine, eventually expanding by the end of its initial charter in 2007 to nearly 500 students in grades 6 to 12.

[3] The school has sparked controversy, as it has been linked to the educational network of cleric Fetullah Gulen by local media.

[6] The Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology Lions[2] compete in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, which operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

[2] The 2022 boys' basketball team won the Group I state championship, the first in program history, with a 91-67 win against Burlington City High School.

[9] In 2020, the team was declared as North I Regional Champion, after the remainder of the playoffs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.