Price T. Young Middle School, known first as Pemberton Junior High School, then Price T. Young Junior High School, was originally built to house seventh and eighth grades that formerly attended Pemberton High School. The School Board purchased land from citizens at Sanford and Emory streets and dedicated the school in September 1964.

In 1971 Pemberton Junior High School was made into an all-seventh-grade school while Marshall Junior High School was made into an eighth grade school.

Price T. Young, for whom the school was named after his death in 1975, was principal from 1964 until his demise.  A distinguished educator whose career spanned 45 years, Mr. Young was a graduate of Wiley College in Marshall and Columbia University in New York City.  A garden in the courtyard of the school was dedicated to his memory in 1975.

When MISD was reorganized in 1981 and the seventh grade transferred to Marshall Junior High School on Houston Street, Price T. Young became one of two middle schools for fifth and sixth graders.

After PTY’s inception as a middle school, a program for teaching organization and study skills was implemented; a computer literacy course was developed; the fine arts program was restructured to include art, music and drama; and a physical fitness program was piloted.  The Hearty Hearts, a regional demonstration jump rope team sponsored by the American Heart Association, evolved from this focus on fitness.  The PTA renovated the cafetorium, gymnasium and library.

PTY began housing the program for MISD’s gifted fifth and sixth graders in 1989.

In 2001-02 PTY was designated “recognized” by Texas Education Agency for performance on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills.