Enrollment
600
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · San Francisco, CA
Lawton Alternative
Federal NCES profile for Lawton Alternative, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 063441005639
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lawton Alternative earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #3 of 83
- elementary schools in San Francisco · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.7:1
- students per teacher
- 40.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lawton Alternative has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lawton Alternative ranks #3 of 83 elementary schools in San Francisco, CA.
School address
District: San Francisco Unified · California
NCES ID 063441005639 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lawton Alternative compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lawton Alternative
Lawton Alternative is a mid-sized elementary school in San Francisco, California, enrolling 600 students.
At 20.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 600 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,422 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #278.
Its student body is led by Asian (76%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 41/100).
13.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding San Francisco Unified spends $23,654 per pupil, 43% above the California average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among San Francisco's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary (673 students): Lawton Alternative is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.7:1 vs 23.2:1).
San Francisco Unified also operates Lowell High (2,571 students) and Lincoln (Abraham) High (2,074 students) alongside Lawton Alternative.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Lawton Alternative compares
Lawton Alternative on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.7:1 | ▼ 4% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.0% | ▼ 28% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 600 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
600
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 41% in California - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
13.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$23,654
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Asian 75.7%
Two or More 12.3%
White 4.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
African American 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 75.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.7, Lawton Alternative is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Francisco Unified, which includes Lawton Alternative.
$23,654
Per student
+43%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.8%
State 31.2%
Federal 12.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Lawton Alternative Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln (Abraham) High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington (George) High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Galileo High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Balboa High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lawton Alternative's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,571
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,074
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,068
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,750
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in San Francisco
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary
Standard public school
673 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Lau (Gordon J.) Elementary
Standard public school
653 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Yu (Alice Fong) Elementary
Standard public school
594 students 29.7:1 students per teacher
West Portal Elementary
Standard public school
588 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Buena Vista/ Horace Mann K-8
Standard public school
586 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Rooftop Elementary
Standard public school
575 students 24:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~600 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lawton Alternative's federal record.
- Compare Lawton Alternative against another school. Compare schools
- San Francisco Unified's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Lawton Alternative
How many students attend Lawton Alternative?
Lawton Alternative has 600 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in San Francisco, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lawton Alternative?
The student-teacher ratio at Lawton Alternative is 20.7:1, which is 4% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lawton Alternative?
40.0% of students at Lawton Alternative are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lawton Alternative?
The largest demographic group at Lawton Alternative is Asian at 75.7% of enrollment, in San Francisco, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lawton Alternative?
Lawton Alternative has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lawton Alternative rank among elementary schools in San Francisco?
By Resource Investment Index, Lawton Alternative ranks #3 of 83 elementary schools in San Francisco, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in San Francisco on the city page.
Is Lawton Alternative a good school?
Lawton Alternative earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in San Francisco Unified?
Besides Lawton Alternative, San Francisco Unified also operates Lowell High (2,571 students), Lincoln (Abraham) High (2,074 students), and Washington (George) High (2,068 students). See the San Francisco Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.