The town of
Arlington, lying within
Shelby County, had been a low-population area since its establishment in 1883. However, in the 1990s, the area experienced rapid growth. As a result, the school system became overloaded, with
Bolton High School in particular being over capacity. Community developers decided another high school was inevitable, and The Shelby County School Board of Education broke ground for the school, finishing just in time for the first class of 9th graders to enroll in 2004. Originally, the land the school sits on was used for Arlington Municipal Airport, which was officially closed in 2002. Located on at Airline Road and Milton Wilson Road, Arlington High School began enrollment for 9th grade students in 2004 in the
Shelby County Schools district. In 2014, Principal Tammy Mason left to head the newly formed
Arlington Community Schools; Chris Duncan replaced her. Starting in the 2014–2015 school year, AHS has been part of Arlington Community Schools. ==Student academics==