Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary vs Lawton Alternative
Lawton Alternative has a higher overall rating of 7.4/10 compared to 4.3/10. Lawton Alternative is significantly larger with 601 students, about 3.9× the size of Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary (154). In math proficiency, Lawton Alternative leads at 76.0%.
Attendance data is under correction. A public school's existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating shown here may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary
San Francisco, CA
154 students
Lawton Alternative
San Francisco, CA
601 students
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| Metric | Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary | Lawton Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 4.3 / 10 | 7.4 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 6.2 | 9.8 |
| Growth Score | 1.2 | 5.3 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 31.2% | 56.9% |
| Environment Score | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| State Rank | #8,702 of 9,557 | #2,518 of 9,557 |
| State Percentile | 9th | 74th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary | Lawton Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 37.0% | 76.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 37.0% | 81.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
| Detail | Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary | Lawton Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Elementary School | Elementary School |
| Grades | Kindergarten – 5th | Kindergarten – 8th |
| Enrollment | 154 | 601 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 19.2:1 | 22.3:1 |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 31.2% | 56.9% |
| District | San Francisco Unified | San Francisco Unified |
| City | San Francisco | San Francisco |
Neighborhood
| Metric | San Francisco (94114) | San Francisco (94122) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $196,528 | $145,717 |
| Median Home Value | $1,771,700 | $1,507,100 |
| Median Rent | $2,898 | $2,720 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 79.2% | 62.9% |
| Poverty Rate | 5.8% | 8.0% |
| Avg Commute | 34 min | 32 min |
The data story: Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary vs Lawton Alternative
Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary edges out Lawton Alternative by half a point in overall rating — 9.2 versus 8.7 out of 10 — but that gap understates a more meaningful divergence in how each school earns its score. In California's statewide rankings, Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary sits at #178 of 9,533 schools while Lawton Alternative lands at #614, a 436-position spread that places Milk comfortably inside the top 2% of all California schools.
The academic and growth scores tell sharply different stories. Lawton Alternative carries the stronger academic proficiency score — 9.8 out of 10 versus Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary's 8.1, a 1.7-point gap that reflects meaningfully higher test performance. Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary counters with a perfect 10.0 growth score against Lawton Alternative's 8.0, meaning students at Milk are outpacing expected academic progress at an exceptional rate. Families weighing current achievement levels against trajectory will find a genuine tradeoff here: Lawton students are performing at a higher absolute level, but Milk students are accelerating faster.
The two schools serve demographically distinct populations despite sitting 2.9 miles apart in San Francisco. Lawton Alternative enrolls 601 students — nearly four times Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary's 154 — and operates at a student-teacher ratio of 22.3:1 versus Milk's 19.2:1, a meaningful gap in per-student classroom attention. Lawton also serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged families, with 57% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch compared to 31% at Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary. Lawton's stronger academic score alongside its higher FRL rate signals real instructional effectiveness with a broader socioeconomic mix.
Grade span is a practical differentiator for families planning ahead. Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary covers kindergarten through fifth grade only, requiring a school transition before middle school. Lawton Alternative runs kindergarten through eighth grade, letting families avoid a mid-childhood school change and providing program continuity across the elementary and middle years — a structural advantage for parents who prioritize stability.
Editorial summary generated May 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary
Milk (Harvey) Civil Rights Elementary suits families who prioritize accelerated academic growth over current achievement benchmarks, value smaller class sizes — 19.2:1 versus Lawton's 22.3:1 — and are comfortable planning a school transition at fifth grade. Its perfect 10.0 growth score makes it a strong fit for students who may be working toward grade-level proficiency and need a high-momentum environment to get there.
Lawton Alternative
Lawton Alternative fits families who want one school to carry their child from kindergarten through eighth grade without a transition, and who value demonstrably high academic proficiency — a 9.8 academic score is difficult to match in San Francisco. Its larger, more economically diverse enrollment also appeals to parents who want their child to learn alongside a broader cross-section of the city.