▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁designed ▁for ▁a ▁capacity ▁of ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁students , ▁but ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁day ▁of ▁school ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁students ▁had ▁been ▁identified ▁by ▁their ▁sending ▁schools . ▁Since ▁other ▁high ▁schools ▁in ▁West ▁Philadelphia ▁were ▁over c row ded , ▁by ▁February ▁the ▁school ▁numbers ▁rose ▁as ▁new ▁students ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁University ▁City ▁High ▁School . ▁The ▁school ' s ▁mission ▁was ▁lost ▁due ▁to ▁gang - related ▁cr imes . ▁There ▁was ▁no ▁structure ▁or ▁discipline ▁from ▁the ▁beginning , ▁allowing ▁the ▁students ▁to ▁get ▁out ▁of ▁control . ▁The ▁initial ▁mission ▁of ▁the ▁school ▁was ▁implemented ▁with ▁the ▁creation ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁of ▁the ▁Ind ividual ized ▁Study ▁Program ▁( IS P ) ▁as ▁an ▁alternative ▁school ▁program ▁open ▁to ▁students ▁from ▁throughout ▁Philadelphia . ▁This ▁program ▁only ▁last ed ▁through ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 - 7 7 ▁school ▁year , ▁when ▁the ▁School ▁District ▁of ▁Philadelphia ▁susp ended ▁fund ing ▁for ▁I SP ▁and ▁most ▁other ▁alternative ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁University ▁City ▁High ▁School ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁ra cial ▁cl ash es ▁and ▁t ension ▁among ▁black ▁and ▁Asian ▁students . ▁There ▁were ▁inc idents ▁of ▁st abb ings ▁and ▁massive ▁b raw ls ▁inside ▁and ▁outside ▁the ▁school ▁grounds . ▁D rug ▁ab use ▁also ▁increased . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁"