Elite public high school in San Francisco now open to all

San Francisco Unified has ended merit-based admissions at its top-performing high school, Lowell High School, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The school is one of the top-performing public high schools in the country. For more than a century, the district has admitted students to the school based on grades and test scores. Now, the school will use a lottery system, like the rest of the district.

Currently, less than 2% of students at Lowell are Black, compared to 8% districtwide, and less than 12% are Latino, compared with 32% districtwide.

The decision has divided parents and students, with some saying it is beneficial to have a school that is considered elite.