The Friends of Lowell Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed in early 2021 by Lowell High School (San Francisco) alumni for the purpose of protecting and preserving their alma mater as an alternative, magnet public school with admissions determined by academic merit. The founding members were Lee Cheng ’89, Alisa Farenzena ’02, Christine Linnenbach ’89, Lisa Li Moye ’05, and Diane Yap ’02.​

 

A small group of alumni that met online quickly grew to become the force that successfully reinstated merit-based admissions at Lowell High School. In 2021, the FOLF challenged the San Francisco Board of Education’s replacement of Lowell’s long-standing merit-based admissions with an unfair lottery. The San Francisco Superior Court upheld the FOLF’s legal challenge and restored merit-based admissions. Today, the FOLF actively monitors the SFUSD High School Task Force, which is presently “reviewing” Lowell admissions and will present findings in September 2023. Additionally, through its early-education committee, the FOLF is working on improving educational opportunities for younger children so that they will be prepared to eventually apply for and excel at rigorous schools like Lowell.