After he relocated into Norfolk, he hurriedly began to involve himself in the war effort as an active physician, serving alongside the regiment of colonel and future president George Washington against the French and the Indians.

Then he was promoted to the rank of colonel and upheld his position while fighting in Lord Dunmore's War until he was injured, ultimately ending his service in the military.

Along with the school, a national historical marker on the Monterey Golf Course, which denotes the former location where Colonel Fleming's plantation stood, was dedicated to his contribution.

In 1989, eight auxiliary classrooms were added to accommodate the arrival of ninth graders on campus as middle schools were established in the city.

The school offers the following curriculum/ courses for the students to take: In 2009, the credibility of William Fleming's faculty and institution at large were challenged when some of the assistant principals, under the direction of head principal Susan Willis, manipulated 30 schedules of special education students to prevent them from taking the SOLs.

Since the dilemma Fleming has struggled to maintain its accreditation with regard to its SOLs, and was at risk of losing it during the school year 2010-2011 after being audited by the state of Virginia.

The students help to renovate a dilapidated house so that a man, who lost all of his fingers in a mining incident, could gain custody of his child.

[12] Communally, the school has also helped in the retention of dropout students by hosting the Western Virginia Education Classic, a football game between two historically black colleges and universities.