Lowell sees dip in enrollment from S.F. private school students

San Francisco Chronicle​

16-05-2025

Fewer private school students are sitting in the coveted seats at San Francisco's Lowell High School than years past, with district students taking 8 out of every 10 spots in the freshmen class, according to district data.
It's a significant shift from just four years ago, when nearly a third of the 2020 ninth graders came from non-district middle schools.
While enrollment numbers for the freshmen class of 2025 won't be available until this fall, the trend of a lower acceptance rate among non-district students and a decline in the percentage of those admitted students who enroll, indicate the pattern will likely continue.
For this upcoming fall, the district admitted 58% of the 708 private and other non-districts eighth-grade students who applied to Lowell, compared to 74% of the 584 applicants in 2019.
For the first time, all applicants this year were required to take the same test for admission to Lowell. In years past, district students took the state standardized test while those from outside the district took a separate test.
District officials stressed they don't play favorites.

The admission policy 'is consistent for all applicants regardless of whether they attend an SFUSD school,' said district spokesperson Laura Dudnick, in a statement. 'In recent years, we've expanded outreach to SFUSD middle school students — especially in historically underserved communities — to ensure there is broader access in applying to Lowell.'
At the same time, fewer outside students who do get into Lowell are opting to go.
In 2019, 31% of those admitted from non-district schools chose to enroll. Last year, 22% of those students opted to attend Lowell.
For district eighth graders, admission rates have remained relatively stable, ranging from 36% in 2019 to 39% for this fall, with a recent high of 41% last year.
Enrollment rates for SFUSD students, however, have increased, with 78% of those admitted choosing to attend Lowell compared to 69% in 2019.
It's unclear what has caused the shift in favor of district students, although the past five years have been a bumpy ride for the district, with school sites closed for 18 months during the pandemic, a school board recall, a massive budget deficit, the ouster of the superintendent and mayoral intervention. The volatility has raised questions for some families about the future of the city's public schools and the quality of the education.

Amid all that, the district paused the competitive admissions process at Lowell for the falls of 2021 and 2022 given the lack of standardized test scores and other issues. Instead, the district used a lottery. Supporters of the switch to the lottery said it would bring more Black and brown students to Lowell, which it did. But opponents said it would harm Asian American students by admitting fewer of them and lower academic standards at the school. After a lawsuit and pushback, the district reinstated the competitive admissions standards.
Enrollment data from this school year shows very little change in Lowell's demographics before and after the lottery admissions, with white and Asian American students over-represented and Black and Hispanic students under-represented compared to their overall presence in the district.
Still, it's clear that what hasn't changed is the overall demand for Lowell, an academically competitive public school with a long list of prestigious alumni. It is considered one of the top public high schools in the country, with most students admitted based on grades and an entry test. About a third of students must meet minimum requirements, but are also evaluated on an essay, family circumstances, hardships and where they went to middle school.

Applications are up, with 2,322 eighth grade students overall vying for a spot this fall, up from 1,967 in 2019 — with both district and non-district applications up.
This enrollment cycle, the district offered spots to 1,036 students, with the goal of a class of 650 freshmen this fall.
Janine Okmin's eighth grade son, who attends a private school, was among the 1,036. He won't be one of the 650.
'He's opting to go to a different school,' Okmin said.
Her son, who is a creative kid, opted for a smaller independent high school rather than the large competitive 'sometimes chaotic school environment' that is Lowell.
Lowell probably wouldn't be a good fit for her son, she said. Her daughter is a junior at Lowell, admitted during the second lottery year.
'We've been very happy with Lowell for our daughter,' she said. 'She feels very, very proud to go there, very proud of SFUSD and public schools. She works her butt off.'
She said it's 'bittersweet' that her son won't attend the school, because Lowell has been great for her daughter, but she also can understand some of the reticence that private school families have about attending Lowell.
'What's happening in the district is of concern for sure,' she said. Okmin said she's heard there aren't enough college counselors and the lights don't work in Lowell's theater because of budget issues.
She said that many private school families that decided not to go to Lowell were worried about the future of the district and its finances, but at the same time, the data shows many of these students are still applying — just in case.
'For families who can pay for an independent school, Lowell feels like a really good backup plan,' she said.