History
- The state of Kansas unified Lawrence schools in 1965, creating Lawrence Unified School District #497 or Lawrence Public Schools.
Location
- Lawrence is conveniently located on Interstate 70 between Kansas City and Topeka, the capital of Kansas.
Population
- The population of Lawrence is estimated at 85,000. Douglas County's population is 100,000.
- Lawrence Public Schools serve 10,700 students, pre-kindergarten through grade 12, making us the seventh-largest school district in Kansas.
- 52% Male, 48% Female
- 72% White, 8% African American, 7% Multi-Racial, 5% Hispanic, 4% Asian and 4% American Indian/Alaskan Native.
- 5% English Language Learners, 15% Students with Special Needs, 30% Economically-Disadvantaged Students
Services
- We serve the educational continuum from birth to adulthood through our Parents As Teachers program, an early childhood family center, 15 elementary schools (grades K-6), four junior high schools (grades 7-9), two high schools (grades 10-12), a virtual school (K-8 with a secondary program for grades 9-12), an adult learning center and a diploma-completion program.
Employment
- We employ approximately 1,800 educators, administrators and educational support staff. We're one of the largest employers in Lawrence. (The University of Kansas is the largest employer.)
- We employ approx. 900 certified/licensed educators and 900 classified educational support staff.
Our College Town
- Douglas County serves as home to three universities: the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence and Baker University in Baldwin City.
- KU is rated a “Best Buy” in the “Fiske Guide to Colleges.”
- Haskell is the only intertribal university to recruit American Indian and Alaska Native students from across the country.
- Baker, the first university in Kansas, is ranked one of the top private liberal arts universities in the region.
July 2008 Back-to-School Newsletter
Lawrence Public Schools' State Report Card (Kansas State Department of Education)
2005 Bond Issue Construction Web Site
If you have additional questions about Lawrence Public Schools, please contact our communications office, 785/832-5000.