The school opened on October 3, 2006, serving grades 9 through 10 during its first year of operation. It is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. the school phased in grade 11 in fall 2007 and grade 12 in fall 2008. In June 2009, the first class graduated.
The school houses three small schools: The School for Social Justice (SJ), The School of Science Math and Related Technologies (SMART), and the School of Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA).
All three schools utilize block scheduling where students take four 82-minute classes a day. Students finish a year's study in sixteen weeks. Arleta High School is recognized as one of the California Gold Ribbon Schools by the California Department of Education
Athletics
Arleta is part of the East Valley League of the CIF Los Angeles City Section.