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Lowell High School
1101 Eucalyptus Dr., San Francisco, CA, 94132-1401 -  Map
tel: (415)759-2730
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School Overview:
Definition of Terms Lowell High School
School Level High school
School Type Magnet School
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County San Francisco County, CA
Students & Faculty
Total Students 2623 students
% Male / % Female 39%  /  61%
Total Classroom Teachers 135 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 9 - 689 students
Grade 10 - 679 students
Grade 11 - 643 students
Grade 12 - 612 students
This School (CA) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:19 1:20
Students by Ethnicity
This School (CA) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 73% 11%
% Hispanic 6% 50%
% Black 3% 7%
% White 15% 28%
% Unknown 3 % 4%
Additional Student Information
This School (CA) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch n/a 44%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch n/a 10%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a 3%
School Performance:
(CA) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name San Francisco Unified School District
This School's Agency (CA) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 118 4
Number of Students Managed 57,260 students 1,760 students
District Total Revenue $562,398,000 $14,612,000
District Expenditure $570,020,000 $15,326,000
District Revenue / Student $9,822 $7,880
District Expenditure / Student $9,955 $7,807
District Graduation Rates n/a n/a
School Notes:
  • Lowell High School is a public magnet school in San Francisco. It was ranked by Newsweek's Jay Mathews Challenge Index as the #26 high school of the United States in 2006.
  • History: Lowell High School is the oldest public high school west of the Mississippi and traces its beginnings to 1856 as the Union Grammar School. In 1894, the school was renamed to honor the distinguished poet, James Russell Lowell, chiefly by Pelham W. Ames, a member of the school board and ardent admirer of James Russell Lowell. The school relocated in January 1913 to an entire city block on Hayes Street between Ashbury and Masonic. Lowell was to remain there a half century, during which time Lowell's position as the city's college preparatory high school was firmly established. In 1952, the drive accelerated for a new Lowell on property near Lake Merced. Lowell opened at this new location in 1962 to complete the final move in its history.
  • Location: 1101 Eucalyptus Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132-1401.
  • The school is located north of Lake Merced, between San Francisco's Parkside and Sunset Districts. The school spans several blocks between Sylvan Ave. in the west and 25th Ave. in the east, and Eucalyptus Drive in the north to Winston Drive in the south. The school is accessible via the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) K, M, 17, 18, 23, 28, 28L, and 29 lines. Hundreds of students walk up the sidewalk on Eucalyptus Drive towards 19th Ave. for the K, M, 28, and 28L lines during common start and end times.
  • The campus is located next to Lakeshore Elementary School, a public school, and St. Stephen School, a private K-8 school. Because Lowell is an open-campus high school, many students choose to shop and eat lunch at the nearby Lakeshore Plaza or Stonestown Galleria malls during their free lunch periods ("mods," see below), despite rules against the latter (widely ignored even by staff).
  • Facilities: Lowell's facilities include:
  • 3-story academic building with two extensions; 2-story science building; 10 "temporary" Bungalows (in actuality, they are among the oldest buildings on campus, though many of the worst of them were recently demolished); 2-story visual and performing arts building with 1000-seat auditorium; Library; Extensive art and science labs; 6 computer labs; Gymnasium; Dance studio; American football field; Soccer/multipurpose field with soccer kicking wall and baseball batting cage; 10 tennis courts; 8 basketball courts; 1/4 mile dirt track.
  • Overview: Lowell is one of the two public schools in the San Francisco Unified School District (the other being School of the Arts) that is permitted to admit only students who meet special admission requirements. The Lowell admission process is based on a combination of standardized test scores, GPA, a writing sample, and extracurricular activities. Lowell's academic success is due largely to this process, and at present, Lowell High School is ranked 3rd in terms of test scores among the Top 10 Public Schools in California, behind Gretchen Whitney High School and Oxford Academy.
  • The school's modular scheduling system and self-scheduling "arena" program allow students freedom in course choice. Students also have the chance to take a large number of Advanced Placement courses. The school's graduation rate is nearly 100%, and is the largest feeder school to the University of California system, in particular to the Berkeley and Davis campuses. Many students also matriculate at other prestigious universities nationwide.
  • Lowell's academic instruction is considered far more rigorous than that offered at other San Francisco high schools, and it has been awarded the Blue Ribbon Academic Excellence Award three times.
  • Extracurriculars: Overview: The Cardinals are one of the most active student bodies in San Francisco, with over 84 academic organizations, teams and student interest clubs.
  • Lowell also has academic teams which are exempt from volunteer hours in exchange for not being publicized as well as the clubs. The Otter Bowl team consistently makes it to the Top 3 in its competitions. The Mock Trial team is very accomplished, representing San Francisco County at the State Championships in 2003 and 2004; however, they lost to School of the Arts in 2005 during finals, and Mission High School in 2006 during semi-finals.
  • Lowell Forensic Society: The Lowell Forensic Society, founded in 1892, is the oldest high school speech and debate team in the nation and also the largest on campus. The team travels regularly to prestigious national invitationals, including Harvard, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Long Beach, and Utah. Lowell Forensics has also competed in the National Speech and Debate Tournament under the National Forensic League for 40 years, making it one of the longest running national championship teams in the nation. Forensics alumni include Yale University President Richard Levin, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, actress Carol Channing, actor Benjamin Bratt, writer Naomi Wolf, actor Bill Bixby, PG&E CEO Frederick Mielke, author Daniel Handler of Series of Unfortunate Events fame and numerous academics, writers, and judges.
  • Academic Decathlon: Among other academic organizations at Lowell, the Academic Decathlon remains at the top as 17-year State Championship county qualifier and has been undefeated as City Champions of San Francisco since the inception of the competition.
  • The Lowell: The school's monthly student newspaper, The Lowell, has won numerous national-level awards, including the CSPA Gold and Silver Crown awards, and the NSPA Pacemaker and Best in Show.
  • Sports: Many students participate in a variety of athletic leagues and competitions. Lowell has competitive football, cross-country, soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, badminton, gymnastics, softball, swimming, track and field, fencing, golf, and baseball teams.
  • Lowell's Varsity Baseball team, led by coach John Donahue, won eight of ten championships from 1994 to 2004while posting a regular season record of 185 wins and only 11 losses[8] during that span. Coach Donahue won his 300th AAA league game on March 7th, 2003 and tallied his 450th win overall just two weeks later on March 21, 2003. In November 2004, Lowell's varsity football team captured the city title at San Francisco's Thanksgiving tradition: The 81st Annual Turkey Bowl. A superior defense and unforgiving offense grounded the explosive Balboa Buccaneer offense. This was the Cardinals' second championship in three years.
  • Lowell's equestrian polo team captured the Eastern regional championship in 2006, unseating Choate, who held the national title since 1987.
  • Lowell's track and field and cross country teams have also fared well in the past. The track Team recently won the city championship in all four divisions for the seventh year in a row. The cross country Team recently swept all three divisions at the city finals in Golden Gate Park, marking Lowell's 26th overall championship win in a row.In recent years, the track and field team has attracted about 150 athletes each season, and the cross country Team has attracted nearly 100 runners each season.
  • The girls' varsity volleyball team has dominated the sport since its creation with the most city championships amongst other San Francisco public schools, and as of November 2006, is on an unprecedented streak of eleven consecutive volleyball city championships. The girls' junior varsity volleyball team also owns all but one of the city titles.
  • In April 2006, Lowell's varsity swim team won their 10th consecutive AAA Championship title, with an undefeated season and an undefeated girls' title, ever since girls have been admitted on the team. The close rivalry between the Cardinals' and the Washington Eagles ended with Lowell coming out on top of all the other SFUSD high schools participating, which included Balboa High, Lincoln High, and Wallenberg High Schools.
  • Historical milestones:
  • 1856 Union Grammar School Founded.
  • 1858 Name changed to San Francisco High School.
  • 1864 Genders separated, name changed to Boy's High School.
  • 1875 Moved within San Francisco to Gough and Octavia.
  • 1886 Girls (slowly) reintegrated into college prep program (thus, female graduates of Boy's High).
  • 1894 Name changed to Lowell High School in honor of poet James Russell Lowell.
  • 1898 First issue of the school newspaper "The Lowell" published (spring).
  • 1908 Funds secured by bonds for new building.
  • 1913 School moved to new, larger campus on Hayes and Ashbury.
  • 1962 School moved to current campus to make room for future expansion and add a library, gymnasium and larger auditorium.
  • 1966 Enrollment limited, school switched from neighborhood to GPA/test based admission.
  • 1968 20-period modular schedule instated.
  • 1981 125th anniversary celebrated at the San Francisco Hilton.
  • 1996 Lowell ranked 6th nationally in AP exam scores.
  • 2003 New academic/science wing opened on campus.
  • 2004 Unit 6 building section renovation completed; roof replaced; "temporary" bungalows 14,15, and 16 relocated.
  • 2006 150th anniversary of the school. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer (class of 1955) visited.
  • Notable alumni:
  • Albert Abraham Michelson, Class of 1868, Nobel Prize in Physics in 1907. First American Nobel laureate. Joseph Erlanger, Class of 1892. Physician; Professor, Washington University in St. Louis. Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1945.
  • Rube Goldberg, Class of 1900. Pulitzer Prize winner, creator of "Rube Goldberg" machines. Walter Haas, Class of 1905.Board Chairman, Levi Strauss & Co.
  • Alexander Calder, Class of 1915, renowned artist and inventor of the mobile.
  • Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Sr., Class of 1923. District Attorney of San Francisco; State Attorney-General; Governor of California, 1959-1967.
  • William Hewlett, Class of 1930. Inventor, businessman, philanthropist. Co-founder, Hewlett-Packard Company; William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
  • Dr. Makio Murayama, Class of 1933. Biochemist, researched sickle cell anemia. Dr. Martin Luther King Award.
  • Carol Channing, Class of 1938. International star of stage and screen.
  • Major General William Joslyn, Class of 1940. Three Star Marine Corps General.
  • Pierre Salinger, Class of 1941. US President John F. Kennedy's press secretary.
  • General Kenneth McLennan, Class of 1943. Four Star Marine Corps General.
  • Donald Fisher, Class of 1946. Founder and Board Chairman of The GAP.
  • Dian Fossey, Class of 1949. Scientist, sacrificed her life protecting the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Book and film, Gorillas in the Mist describe her life with the great apes.
  • Bill Bixby, Class of 1952. Movie and TV star: "The Incredible Hulk", "My Favorite Martian". Director.
  • Stephen Breyer, Class of 1955. Associate Justice in the United States Supreme Court.
  • Tom Meschery, Class of 1957. Played in the NBA for the Warriors, 1961-1971.
  • Richard Levin, Class of 1964. Current President of Yale University.
  • Michael Bortin, class of 1966. Member of the Symbionese Liberation Army.
  • Gil Byrd, Class of 1979(?). Played in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, 1983-1992.
  • Eric Allin Cornell, Class of 1980. Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001. Naomi Wolf, Class of 1980. Rhodes Scholar, Writer.
  • Benjamin Bratt, Class of 1982. Movie and TV personality. Starred in the popular television series, "Law & Order".
  • Kevin Jordan, Class of 1987. Played in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1995-2001.
  • Daniel Handler, Class of 1988. AKA Lemony Snicket. Bestselling author of a series of children's novels, A Series of Unfortunate Events. An early book, The Basic Eight, is a thinly veiled satire based on Mr. Handler's Lowell experience.
  • Adrian Lamo, Class of 1999. Well-known computer hacker, journalist.
  • Margaret Cho, comedienne. While not a graduate of the high school, she is one of the most infamous drop-outs.
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL
  • Add information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (94132)
School Zip (94132) (CA) State Average
Population (Approximate) 26,291 people 33,115,272 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 53% 32%
Population Average Age 36 years old 32 years old
Average Household size 2.5 persons 2.9 persons
Median Household Income $55,000 $48,909
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 4.4 rooms 4.8 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 57 years old 39 years old
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Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (94132)



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% Owning / % Renting 43% / 57% 58% / 42%
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  Nearby Schools:
1. Abraham Lincoln High School - 2450 students - view location
2. Jefferson High School - 1267 students - view location
3. Thornton High (cont) - 208 students - view location
4. Balboa High School - 1035 students - view location
5. City Arts And Tech High School - 190 students - view location
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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