Fair was originally a part of the Pulaski County Special School District. It opened in August 1982 (with additions in 1983, 1984 and a classroom and cafeteria addition in 2004) and is named for James Augustus "Gus" Fair. The school operated as a junior/senior high school (grades 7-12) from 1982 to 1987. It was annexed by the Little Rock School District and converted to a senior high school in 1987. In 2000, J. A. Fair became a magnet school and offers magnet programs in environmental science, systems engineering/information sciences and medical studies. The school was divided into academies: The Academy of Environmental Science, Enterprise Mobile Network Management Academy, and The Academy of Sports Medicine, along with a Freshman Academy. It closed in 2020 with the opening of Little Rock Southwest High School.