text: The film was shot on the campus of the defunct Mount Carmel High School in South Central Los Angeles, that had been closed in 1976. The nighttime school explosions and fires were so great that many were scared away by and, temporarily, would not return to the on campus sets. Extras used for filming were students from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California. The opening sequence, food fight scene, and the dance number “Do You Wanna Dance” featured the Drill Team and football team wearing their actual football uniforms and drill team outfits from MCHS.
  Release
  The film had a sneak preview in Hollywood. It then had showings in Texas and New Mexico in April, 1979. It then went to San Francisco, then in July to Chicago, and opened in Manhattan on August 3 of that year, then continued on to further markets.
  Home media
  Rock 'n' Roll High School was originally released on VHS by Warner Home Video in 1983, and was later re-released on VHS in 1996 by New Horizons Home Video (). A year later, in 1997, it was issued on DVD by Lumivision. A second DVD release occurred in 1999 from Slingshot. Shortly after Joey Ramone's death in 2001, New Concorde produced a third DVD release. The film was once again issued on DVD in 2005 by Buena Vista Home Entertainment ( ). DVDs in the PAL format were issued by Umbrella Entertainment in 2003 () and again in 2007 ().