The school opened in 1975 and has served approximately 2,000 students annually. It is named after NYPD Police Officer Rocco Laurie who was killed in line-of-duty in Manhattan, along with his partner Greg Foster. Both Laurie and Foster served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

Stanley Katzman was the school's first principal. After his retirement, Peter Maccelarri, a Vietnam War veteran, would administer the school for more than 10 years. There are 4 assistant principals (one from each floor), and the Principal's Office is on the first floor. After more than 20 years, the school was structured in a way where as each floor is divided by the foreign language the student chooses via a formal letter (typically, students are grouped in classes by the foreign language elective they choose).

The school effectively began its ARISTA Junior High School honor services in 2003. Around the same time at the beginning of ARISTA, the famed Bulldog Statue would be built under the administration of Peter Maccelarri.

Now, effective of 2018, the first-floor services all grades, the second services the 6th grade, the third services students of 7th grade, and the fourth floor services the 8th grade. Each floor has its own set of AP's, Deans and guidance counselors. It originally started with equal separation, as in the grades were divided somewhat equally, among each of the floors.

The school would then honor Police Officer Rafael Ramos, as he had worked in the school as security before his shift to being an active police officer. He, and his partner Wenjian Liu were killed on December 20, 2014, in Brooklyn through fatal blows through the head and upper body from a shooter. He will be always remembered.