or ne . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁location ▁for ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁TV ▁movie ▁entitled ▁Hard ▁Less ons ▁dep ict ing ▁Den zel ▁Washington ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁principal , ▁who ▁sets ▁ ▁out ▁to ▁rid ▁the ▁school ▁of ▁gang ▁violence ▁and ▁dru gs ▁and ▁restore ▁educational ▁values ▁to ▁the ▁school . ▁The ▁current ▁principal ▁is ▁De che le ▁By rd . ▁Two ▁famous ▁former ▁princip als ▁are ▁George ▁McK en na , ▁whom ▁Den zel ▁Washington ▁port rayed ▁in ▁the ▁movie ▁Hard ▁Less ons ; ▁and ▁past ▁LA US D ▁Board ▁Member ▁Mar guer ite ▁La M otte . ▁ ▁History ▁George ▁Washington ▁Pre par atory ▁High ▁School ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁as ▁a ▁six - year ▁high ▁school ▁that ▁slowly ▁developed ▁into ▁a ▁four - year ▁school . ▁The ▁first ▁gradu ating ▁class ▁was ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁with ▁ 5 ▁sen iors . ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁Long ▁Beach ▁earth qu ake ▁and ▁the ▁students ▁went ▁to ▁school ▁in ▁t ents ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁or ▁two . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁Washington ▁High ▁began ▁accepting ▁ 1 1 th ▁and ▁ 1 2 th ▁grad ers ▁only , ▁and ▁before ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁Washington ▁Senior ▁High ▁School ▁had ▁expanded ▁to ▁include ▁gr ades ▁ 1 0 ▁through ▁ 1 2 . ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁a ▁new ▁founder , ▁the ▁f amed ▁George ▁McK en na