In an informational presentation at its Tuesday, Nov. 14 meeting, the San Francisco Board of Education heard a proposal to change Lowell Admissions to be based on a minimum GPA with no consideration given to test scores and other personal factors currently used in the merit based band system. 

Under the new system, all applicants who meet the minimum GPA, which has yet to be announced, will be in a drawing for the available seats at Lowell. This also contrasts the current three band system which begins accepting applicants with the highest GPA and test score combination, working down incrementally until all seats are filled in each band. This plan is proposed to start as early as the 2025-26 school year. 

The proposal drew a large public turnout at the meeting, where over 50 members of the public attended to express opposition. Some displayed signs with slogans such as “Save Lowell” and “Racist SFUSD | Stop Asian Hate.” Many of those in attendance, such as SFUSD parent Leanna Louie, described the proposal as an attack on the Asian American Community. “According to some board members and the superintendent, there are too many Chinese students at Lowell. Stop the racism and Chinese exclusion at SFUSD.” Louie said in her public comment, “You should support the current three-band merit admissions.”

According to SFUSD Superintendent Matt Wayne’s presentation, the proposal calls to “Revise Lowell admissions criteria to be based on a minimum GPA and student interest and not use admission tests or a supplemental application.” This is part of a larger initiative to re-envision SFUSD’s high school programs as a result of the findings of the High School Task Force convened by SFUSD that met for the past year. The task force’s findings called on the district to more effectively match students with their top school and programs of interest.

As Tuesday’s presentation was only informational, no policy changes were approved. Implementation of any changes to Lowell’s admission system will require board action. Additionally, exact details of the new proposal such as the minimum GPA required remain to be determined, but the staff report on the proposal states that the new criteria would preserve the current priority given to middle schools that have historically sent fewer students to Lowell. Future school board meetings will bring a more detailed proposal which may then be enacted by the board to be used starting with the 2029 graduating class.