Southwest Boise was one of the few areas of Boise to experience a building boom in the early to mid 1970's. The area grew so fast that a building moratorium was put into effect by the Ada County Planning and Zoning Commission. Maple Grove and McKinley Schools became overcrowded. For the first time in the decade, there was a need for a new school.

Amity School opened in 1979. It was a model for school construction nationwide because of the use of solar energy and earth cover. The school's design was featured in the June, 1979 issue of Intermountain Contractor. Amity won several awards for its energy saving, efficient design.

Amity is located in the far reaches of the Boise School District. To the south and west of the school, students attend schools in the Meridian School District. Staff and student population have remained remarkably stable since the school's beginning. The school has had six principals: Herm Steger 1979-86, Bob Deakins 1987-96, Debby Bailey 1997-2003, Gale Zickefoose 2004-2007, Darryl Gerber 2008-2014, Tim Lowe (2014-2016). Valerie Uhlorn (present).