▁high ▁schools . ▁Through ▁this ▁system , ▁three ▁new ▁high ▁schools ▁were ▁built , ▁reflect ing ▁a ▁traditional ▁compreh ensive ▁school ▁challeng ing ▁the ▁new ▁adv ances ▁of ▁technology ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁district , ▁community , ▁and ▁univers ities ▁of ▁West ▁Philadelphia ▁argued ▁to ▁make ▁U CH S ▁a ▁math ▁and ▁science ▁magnet ▁school . ▁The ▁most ▁gift ed ▁( most ly ▁white ▁students ▁at ▁the ▁time ) ▁students ▁were ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁attend . ▁U CH S ▁was ▁created ▁to ▁represent ▁a ▁new ▁approach ▁to ▁learning ▁in ▁urban ▁education , ▁new ▁in ▁the ▁sense ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁util ize ▁the ▁latest ▁education , ▁technology , ▁and ▁community ▁resources ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁meaning ful ▁individual ▁program ▁for ▁each ▁student , ▁regardless ▁of ▁race ▁or ▁economic ▁background . ▁It ▁aim ed ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁college - based ▁environment ▁before ▁entering ▁college . ▁ ▁Early ▁strugg les ▁▁ ▁U CH S ' ▁first ▁day ▁of ▁school ▁was ▁Dec , ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁It ▁was ▁opened ▁as ▁a ▁regular ▁high ▁school ▁( not ▁the ▁original ▁mission ) ▁because ▁the ▁curr icul um ▁and ▁teachers ▁were ▁not ▁ready , ▁and ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁school ▁was ▁continu ously ▁delayed , ▁pushing ▁the ▁opening ▁date ▁to ▁December . ▁The ▁first ▁coh ort ▁of ▁students ▁at ▁U CH S ▁were ▁exclus ively ▁nin th ▁grad ers , ▁and ▁the ▁school ▁expanded ▁grade ▁by ▁grade ▁until ▁it ▁reached ▁its ▁full ▁ 9 - 1 2 ▁grade ▁range