ABOUT US
Lawrence Public Schools
Unified School District 497
Our Mission
Lawrence Public Schools is a learning community
committed to ensuring educational equity and excellence so that students of all races and backgrounds achieve at high levels and graduate prepared for success in college, careers, and life in a diverse and rapidly changing world.
Empowering future-ready learners.
With a focus on educational equity and our strategic plan initiatives of Cohesive Curriculum, Student-Centered Learning, Safe and Supportive Schools, Effective Employees, and Data-Informed Decisions, Lawrence Public Schools has earned a reputation as a premiere learning community — offering our scholars an excellent P-12 educational experience that rivals any in Kansas and beyond. The keys to our success? Our high-quality staff, bright and talented students, actively involved parents, supportive community partners, and resource-rich university community, where education is valued.
Together as one team, our district's school board, administration, teachers, and staff build positive relationships, seek multiple perspectives, set high expectations, and hold each other accountable for ensuring that all students achieve at high levels, graduate on time, and are well prepared for their future. We empower future-ready learners by providing equitable access to rigorous, culturally relevant, and seamlessly aligned curriculum and effective, research-based instruction.
In order to achieve educational equity and excellence for students of all races and backgrounds, the Lawrence Board of Education and Superintendent establish a learning climate of high expectations, set annual equity and achievement goals, and charge district- and school-level teams with responsibilities for developing strategies to eliminate achievement disparities while improving achievement for all students.
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11,000+ Students |
21 Academic Locations |
1,600+ Employees |
LPS Facts
Click any of the links in the list below to learn more information about Lawrence Public Schools and our various academic services, programs, and offerings.
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Consolidated by the state of Kansas in 1965.
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Conveniently located on I-70 between the state capital, Topeka, and Kansas City.
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The seventh-largest school district in Kansas.
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One of the city's largest employers with approximately 1,600 employees.
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Serves approximately 11,000 students.
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Operates 11 elementary schools (Grades K-5), four middle schools (Grades 6-8), and two comprehensive high schools (Grades 9-12).
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Offers various Early Childhood/Preschool programs, including Parents as Teachers, tiny-k Early Intervention Services, a Pre-K Montessori education program, preschool classrooms at Sunflower Elementary and Woodlawn Elementary, and an Early Childhood Educational Readiness Preschool Program at Kennedy Early Childhood Center.
- Provides career and technical educational opportunities to juniors and seniors attending both high schools at the Lawrence College & Career Center.
- Operates Lawrence Virtual School serving K-12 students across Kansas and the U.S.
- Offers Adult Education Services (adult basic education, English as a Second Language Services, diploma completion, and GED study and testing) at Peaslee Tech.
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Operates the first public Montessori education program in Kansas — available for students in Grades Preschool-3 — at New York Montessori.
Lawrence Public Schools is located in Lawrence, Kansas. Use the following links to learn more about Lawrence, explore its history, and read up on just a few of the positive things national publications are saying about our city.