Fast Facts About Lawrence Public Schools


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.

Enrollment

  • 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.

USD 497 Budget at a Glance

Lawrence Public Schools' State Report Card (Kansas State Department of Education)

If you have additional questions about Lawrence Public Schools, please contact our communications office, 785/832-5000.