I went to LJES, Muirlands and LJHS, and graduated in the mid-90’s. Not sure if it’s still the case, but at that time there were several hundred students bussed in from SouthEast San Diego every morning.

While many of them took advantage of the opportunity afforded them, a large number brought their gangster ways with them. The gang presence on campus was fairly strong, and graffiti and fights were common.

We had an open campus for lunch and the streets and homes in the surrounding neighborhood were regularly tagged up. I believe the campus was closed a year or so after I graduated due to this problem.

Most of us LJ kids weren’t greatly affected by the gangsters, as the groups remained fairly segregated. A few people did catch a beating for walking into the bathroom at the wrong time, though. Many of us actually liked having them around, as drugs were always readily available.

Again, I don’t know if things are the same today. That was just my experience nearly 20 years ago.