It was established on April 15, 1899 in response to the growing need of education in the post-Spanish era Chinese community.

[3] The school was closed in 1942 following the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II and was opened again in 1945.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines credited the school as a model for educational institutions for Chinese and Filipino-Chinese people.

Subjects to be taught for senior high school levels were under study and were expected to be offered in June 2016 with the Grade 11 English classes.

In elementary and high school levels, TSA maintains a three-period-per-day (fifteen periods a week) policy as mandated by the Filipinization law of the late President Marcos, which is in effect to date.