RHA was established as Del Paso High School in 1971 to meet the needs of students who were experiencing difficulty at the traditional high school. These difficulties include attendance issues, poor credit attainment, or a variety of disciplinary concerns. Some students choose to remain at RHA even after they are eligible to return to the traditional high school. This is due to the small size of the school and the amount of support students receive. One of the strongest assets of the school is the small class sizes. Ron Hockwalt Academies students enjoy a student-to-teacher ratio of 18:1.