The school is in the Brookside neighborhood, two blocks south of Border Star Montessori.
The school offered many academic and extracurricular activities and programs and competed as the "Indians."
Throughout its history, the school produced many notable alumni including the filmmaker Robert Altman, writer Calvin Trillin, the founders of H&R Block, actor Chris Cooper and rapper Tech N9ne, among others.
[1] By the late 1970s, the black student population was approximately 60% due to busing and attendance boundary changes that began during the 1975-1976 school year.
[1] The new school was based on math and science, and allowed students to earn 20 to 60 hours of college credit from the University of Missouri-Kansas City before graduating.
[1][4] The total student body at the time of the 2016 closing was 94% minority and 98% economically disadvantaged.
There would be four primary points of emphasis: diversity by design, student-centered and project-based learning, autonomy with accountability and interaction with the surrounding community.