 Ellison High School opened in 1978 and the first graduation class was held in 1979.The Ellison High School football program received a donation of US$25,000 from the American television channel NBC and automobile maker Toyota, for their participation in the Friday Night Lights Hometown Sweepstakes contest.The former University of Kentucky head basketball coach, Billy Gillispie, was the head coach at Ellison in the early 1990s, leading the school to the 5A state basketball tournament in 1993.