Prelude:
Butterworth was without the facilities of a national-type Chinese secondary school nineteen years ago. Pupils who had completed their primary education in Chinese schools were facing difficulties in continuing their education in vernacular schools at secondary level. The Chinese community in Butterworth who were concerned about this problem then sought the assistance of the Board of Governors of Chung Ling High School Penang to set up a branch school in Butterworth.

Application:
During the school board meeting held on the 10th of March, 1976, a resolution was unanimously passed to set up the branch school. The proposed name was "Chung Ling High School Butterworth Branch". Proceedings to obtain approval  to set up the new school were initiated and the application was submitted through the state education department . Assistance was sought from the community leaders. They were Datuk Michael Chen (former Minister of Housing & Rural Development), the late Datuk Chan Siang Sun (former Deputy Minister of Education), Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik (Minister of Transport now and Deputy Minister of Finance then) and Dr. Sak Cheng Lam (Penang State Assemblyman and State Exco Member). On the 9th of August, 1979, the Board of Governors received the official letter from the Penang state education director. approving the setting up of the Butterworth Branch School.

School Site:
The school was to be built on a piece of land along Jalan Ong Yi How with an area of 8.75 acres. The "Ling Ying Temple Association of Butterworth" offered to donate the said piece of land. However, due to certain legal complications, it was eventually bought over from the association at the sum of RM460,000.

Fund Raising:
A committee for the building of the new school was elected on the 9th of April, 1983 at the assembly hall of the Penang Chung Ling Alumni Association. The first committee meeting was held on the 30th of April, 1983 and on the same night a dinner in conjunction with the occasion was held. At the dinner, the late Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew who was chairman of the Board of Governors of Chung Ling School Penang cum adviser to the School-Building Committee of the new branch, made an initial pledge of RM 500,000 to the school-building fund. His generous deed was followed by Datuk Ong Hoo Kim, Chairman of the School-Building Committee, who pledged RM 20,000. A total of RM 3 million in pledges was raised at that single night, setting a unprecedented record.

Construction Started:
The building plan for the new school was approved by the town council on the 25th of January, 1984. A ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the new school was held on the 12th of December, 1984 and was officiated by the Director-General of Education, Tan Sri Murad. Thus began the first phase of development which comprises of a field with a 400 meter running track, 2 four-storey blocks i.e. Block A with 24 classrooms; Block B with 12 science laboratories and 4 special classrooms and Block C which houses a large hall with a capacity for 1200 persons, administrative rooms, staff rooms and a library.

School Name:
In response to a proposal from Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik and after due consideration by the board and school-building committee, the name of the school was eventually registered as "Chung Ling High School Butterworth" with its own independent board of governors. Classes in the new school premises began on the 6th of January, 1986.

Expansion:
The second phase of development began in early 1991. It involved the construction of 2 four-storey blocks, i.e. Block E with 16 classrooms and Block F with 8 special rooms for computer studies and living skills workshops. With the completion of the above facilities, the intended plan of development for Chung Ling High School Butterworth was accomplished with a total expenditure of about RM 7.6 million.

Aspirations:
After 20 years of planning, labour and hard work, Chung Ling High School Butterworth finally stands out as a promising ground for nurturing young talents and a premier Chinese secondary school in Butterworth to provide quality education, steeped in the "Chung Ling Tradition" to the local community. With the continuous support and effort from dedicated individuals, groups and the community, the school will definitely grow from strength to strength in fulfilling the aspirations of the people and the nation.

School Name:
Chung  Ling High School is not named  after any person. The name " Chung Ling " comprises two chinese characters meaning "concentration" and "wisdom" respectively. The name  asserts the belief that the concentration of the forces of wisdom at a particular place will  lead to the emergence of elites, who in turn will enhance the fame and status of the place. It signifies the fervent hope of the founders that this school becomes a nursery of quality citizens who contribute to the development of the country.

1996-1998 Progress & Development:
The Minister of Education Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak visited the school on the 7th of September, 1995. He was satisfied with the school facilities. During a special assembly on the same day, he announced permission to open 6th Form classes. The first batch of 2 classes of science students started on the 1st of April, 1996. Two years later the number of classes increased to 5, that is, 3 science classes & 2 art classes.

As from 1996, the school took in only form one students. This resulted in the school having 20 classes of Form one students in that year.  Of the 20 classes, 10 were promoted from the Remove Form and the other 10 were from direct intake.

To further enhance the outlook and facilities of the school, a clock tower and cocurricular rooms were built with the help of the school board. Together with the PTA, a block of new toilets were constructed and the library air-conditioned to benefit the students. Apart from these, the school brass band which was formed in 1993 now boasts of more than 100 members. The school also takes pride in the Chinese Orchestra Group. Now Butterworth Chung Ling, Penang Chung Ling ( the  mother school ) and Chung Ling ( Private ) are compatible and comparable in every aspect. All the projects mentioned above incurred expenses of about RM 1.3 million.