Katherine Edwards Junior High opened in 1955 only with 7th and 8th grade students. In 1998, it became Katherine Edwards Middle School and included 6th graders. In 2018, it added STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) and Dual Immersion Academies.
The school was named after Katherine Edwards who was a former Army Nurse (WWI) and Whittier City School District Nurse for many, many years.