Carnegie Vanguard High School was established in the fall of 2002 as the successor to the highly successful school-within-a-school Vanguard program at Jesse H. Jones Senior High which was created in 1977.

 

There have been three principals of CVHS, Dr. James Simpson (2002-03), Lashawn Porter, interim (2003-2004), and Ramon Moss (soon to be Dr.) who has been Carnegie's principal since the fall of 2004. Under the leadership of Ramon Moss, CVHS has developed into a nationally recognized school. In 2005, CVHS received its first accolade from the Texas Education Excellence Project of Texas A & M University which recognized CVHS as the seventh best high school in Texas and since then the accolades have been non-stop.