Lowell Alumni Association

Budget Crisis Funding - In response to severe budget cuts at Lowell High School imposed by the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) that threatened the reduction or elimination of many critical academic programs and student support services (counseling, library access, etc.), the Lowell Alumni Association provided $553,727 in supplemental funds to the SFUSD to offset a significant portion of the threatened budget cuts. This emergency grant was funded largely from our long-standing reserve fund. The Lowell PTSA contributed an additional $300,000 to this effort.

Grants Program/Designated Gifts - Twice each year, we solicit grant requests from Lowell faculty, staff and coaches to fund projects that supplement Lowell High School's academic and extracurricular programs. Our Grant Committee evaluates the requests and makes funding recommendations to the LAA Board of Directors for their review and approval.Thanks to our annual grants program and generous designated gifts we have received, we were able to fund a wide variety of projects during fiscal year 2021-22 including support for Lowell's Robotics team ($45,507); upgraded technology for the newly-renovated school library ($27,857); Lowell Science Research Program ($12,500); JROTC program ($9,911); new digital pianos ($6,240); and California Poets in the Schools program ($5,400).Additionally, we have expanded our efforts to make important student events accessible to all students by sponsoring the senior picnic to make it free to all students ($16,778); providing yearbooks to seniors with financial need ($8,500); and subsidizing tickets to the junior prom, senior boat dance and senior prom ($13,481).

Scholarships/Awards - In April of each year, the Lowell Alumni Association solicits applications for our college scholarship program from graduating seniors. Our Scholarship Committee then reviews those applications, conducts interviews and makes final selections of recipients in May. Although scholarship awards are announced in May, we dont pay college scholarships until recipients enroll in college and provide us with proof of enrollment. Given our June 30 fiscal year-end, that means we award scholarships in one fiscal year but actually make payment in the next year. Our past practice was to report scholarships in the fiscal year payment was made, but our auditor has recommended that we report scholarships in the fiscal year they are awarded and then show those amounts as accounts payable. Fiscal year 2021-22 marks our first year of using that process, which means our scholarship expenses are roughly double the normal amount because this years total includes scholarships awarded in May 2021 (but paid out during fiscal year 2021-22) as well as scholarships awarded in May 2022.We awarded 113 college scholarships amounting to more than $230,000 in May 2021 and another 102 college scholarships totaling over $250,000 in May 2022. We also provided over $7,000 in Advanced Placement exam fee subsidies to 60 students with financial need in May 2022 and special academic awards (Vicki Chin Writing Award and Ivan Barker Math Award) totaling $5,000 to six students in May 2022.