Grant opened in September 1924, with 1,191 students. Many of the schools in the Portland Public School district that were built between 1908 and 1932 were designed by architects Floyd Naramore and George Jones. However, so many schools were being built simultaneously in Portland in the early 1920s, that the district had to hire another architectural firm to design Grant High School, which was in the Classical Revival style by architects Knighton and Howell. In November 1923, the bricklayers working on Grant went on strike after the district tried to cut costs by using a maintenance worker to lay bricks. After the Vanport flood in May 1948, Grant was home to the Vanport Extension Center through the summer of that year. Three motion pictures have been filmed at Grant High School: The made-for-TV movie Reunion, Mr. Holland's Opus, and Nearing Grace. Funded by a $482 million bond measure approved in 2012, A two-year modernization project of Grant High School began in June 2017 and was completed in the summer of 2019. The interior of the building was gutted and has been completely rebuilt. The project includes a new three-story common area, a new gymnasium, seismic retrofitting, and additional classroom space.
Student profile
In the 2016–2017 school year, Grant's student population was 67.8% white, 8.2% African American, 6.8% Hispanic, 4.7% Asian, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, and 11.7% mixed race. About 25% of Grant's students live out of boundaries and transfer in. In 2008, 92% of the school's seniors received a high school diploma. Of 443 students, 388 graduated, 39 dropped out, six received a modified diploma, and ten were still in high school in 2009. In 2009, 27% of the students were transfers into the school.
Curriculum
Special programs
Grant High School houses the last installment of the Japanese Immersion Program, a 13-year immersion program, begun at Richmond Elementary and continued at Mt. Tabor Middle School.
Extracurricular activities
Grant's Constitution Team has been the state champion twelve times, and has won the national competition three times. In 2011, Grant's student newspaper, The Grantonian, was replaced by the 36-page full-color monthly Grant Magazine. In its first year, the magazine won Best In Show at the Oregon Fall Press day. It has also won the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association's Gold Crown award three years in a row, from 2014 through 2016.
Athletics
GHS's mascot is the Grant General, in honor of its namesake General Ulysses S. Grant.
Men's Basketball Program
The men's basketball team is one of the most successful programs in Oregon. Grant has produced 10 D1 Recruits since 1997. Some previous General recruits have chosen to play college basketball at Vermont, UCLA, Oregon, Nebraska, SMU, Saint Marys, UNLV, Idaho, Washington, San Diego St, and other schools. Grant has won state championships in 1969, 1986, 1988, 2008, 2018. Coach Robert Key has been the head coach since 2014 and has a career record of 94-47.
