Over seventy years ago, Lawton Alternative School was founded in the growing Sunset District.   The school was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which provided work to nearly eight million Americans during the Great Depression.  Most of the school buildings in the area were built by the same architects in an Art Deco influenced style known as "Streamline Moderne."  This type of style emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical themes.  Source: Sunset Beacon.

Today, Lawton is a Kindergarten through 8th Grade school with an open enrollment which allows students from any San Francisco neighborhood to apply to attend.  Our school-wide priority is to improve the academic performance of all our students by developing each student's learning potential through a wide variety of challenging programs that provide them with as many active learning and problem solving to reach their full academic potential.  We endeavor to become better citizens through adherence to our motto, "Respect, Responsibility, and Compassion."  Our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is committed to fostering a strong sense of community and raising funds to support the classrooms with materials, enrichment programs, and extracurricular activies.

Lawton is a California Distinguished School 1986, 1993, 2002. 

Lawton Alternative School conducts school tours for prospective students and their families beginning October 4, 2011.
 
School tours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
 
Visitors are greeted in the Main Office.  A Lawton staff member will conduct a brief informational presentation and lead a tour around school grounds.
 
Call (415) 759-2832 to make an appointment for a tour.
 
Additionally, beginning October 4th, a Lawton PTA parent will be available in room 141 on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. to answer questions or provide more information about the school from a parent’s perspective.  You can also send an email to info@lawtonpta.com.

If you require more technical information about Lawton’s programs and services, please call (415) 759-2832 and ask for the school counselor, Principal, or Assistant Principal.