Southeastern is a survivor, one of the last of Detroit's architecturally stunning and educationally inspiring historic high schools.

The school, designed by the firm Malcomson & Higginbotham, opened on the city's far east side in 1917. At the time, it was in a rural "jungle-like" part of the city, giving the school the nickname of the Jungaleers.

Detroit's surging population in the wake of the automobile industry's rise led to an addition being added to the school in 1929, which also was designed by Malcomson & Higginbotham.

Around 2002, the school was given a major renovation that required its students to be housed next door at Foch Middle School while work was performed.

In 2008, Southeastern had more than 2,400 students, but just four years later, that number had fallen by two-thirds to just shy of 800 as the district weathered declining city population and the rise of charter schools. To combat this, Southeastern was rebranded as Southeastern High School of Technology and Law, with a focus on these subject areas in an attempt to lure more students interested in those fields. As of 2024, the school had about 620 students.

More on this school coming soon.