The school contains several main academic buildings, a performing arts auditorium, a swimming pool, two sets of tennis courts, two indoor gymnasiums, a 400-m outdoor track, and three athletic fields.

[5][6] SPHS opened in 1906 after South Pasadena city officials approved a measure to construct a public high school in 1904.

In 1954, the city of San Marino chose to withdraw from SPHS and to established San Marino Unified School District, along with San Marino High School[4] The school offers a variety of sports such as baseball, volleyball,[7] football,[8] water polo,[9] basketball,[10] cross country, soccer, track and field, tennis, and others.

It is also used for boys and girls' soccer teams and for track and field meets as well as for graduation ceremonies.

[12] The school was one of the first to work with the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the mobile Sports Analysis Lab, to help demonstrate how data is collected, evaluated, and assessed to study athletes biomechanics.