Thomas Carr Howe High School opened its doors in 1938 in the Irvington neighborhood and was named for the former Butler University president and one-time state lawmaker.

The high school was shuttered in 1995 due to budget woes but was reopened in 2000 as a middle school after the community convinced Indianapolis Public Schools to do so. The school's name was changed to Thomas Carr Howe Academy and high school grades were added in 2002. At the first commencement program after re-opening, members of the school's first graduating class were in attendance.