Lawrence Public Schools welcomes our community of learners to the 2022-2023 school year!

Prior to the start of school, teachers will host listen and learn conferences with families August 15. Schools will provide a half-day of orientation for students in kindergarten and grades 6 and 9 on the morning of August 17. The first full day of school for grades K-12 is August 18. Our early childhood program begins August 25.

Review the school calendar for other important dates.

Registration
New students may register online anytime! By law, children must turn five years old by August 31, 2022, to register for kindergarten.  

School Supplies
The district provides an Elementary School Supply List. Secondary schools and teachers will share with families requested supplies for students to bring to class. 

Back2School Douglas County hosts a summer supply drive. Thanks to the generosity of our community, the Lawrence Schools Foundation and volunteers will sort and pack donated supplies into backpacks and deliver them to schools. Families who need school supplies for their children should notify their children's schools.

School Meals
The federal government enabled schools to offer free meals to all students during the first two years of the pandemic. Congress did not extend this benefit to the 2022-2023 school year. Families must apply to receive free or reduced-price meals and complete the disclosure form to receive school fee waivers. The free and reduced-price meal application may be completed online and includes language translations. The district encourages all families to apply!

District Nutrition and Wellness staff are happy to assist families with completing the application at the Educational Support Center, 110 McDonald Drive, or by phone at 785-832-5000.

Meals include healthy entrees, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and milk. This year's meal prices are $1.80 (K-5), $1.90 (Middle School), and $1.95 (High School) for breakfast and $2.80 (K-5), $3.00 (MS), and $3.05 (HS) for lunch. Be sure to add funds to your children's school meal accounts. Families may do this online (or download the My School Bucks mobile app) or send a check, clearly marked "Food Service," to school with their child.

PowerSchool
PowerSchool provides online access to available information about your student’s attendance, schedules, assignments, and grades. If you do not have a computer at home, you may use your student's device to create and access your account. 

All returning parents/guardians must change their password to log in to PowerSchool. Your email is your username. Use the Forgot Password? link to change your password. Check your inbox, spam, and junk folders for system emails.

If you are new to Lawrence Public Schools, please contact your child's school for your student's PowerSchool Access ID and Password to link your students and create your parent PowerSchool account. For your security, PowerSchool will require that you verify your account before accessing it. You will receive a verification email to complete this step. Check your inbox, spam, and junk folders for system emails. Please follow these instructions to create your PowerSchool account. Your email is your username.

*Troubleshooting: Your email address is your username. Use the "Forgot Password?" link to reset your password. Check your inbox, spam, and junk folders for system password reset and verification emails. Still having issues signing in to PowerSchool? Call the Help Desk at 785-330-4357 or email ITWorkOrder@usd497.org.

Health Services
The Kansas State Department of Health and Environment issues regulations for immunizations required for the 2022-2023 school year. As per Kansas Statute 72-5209, all children upon entry to school must be appropriately vaccinated. If you need a copy of your child’s current immunizations, you may access their records through PowerSchool or by contacting your school nurse.

In addition, all students younger than nine years of age entering a Kansas school for the first time must present a health assessment (physical) completed after May 1 in accordance with Kansas Statute 72-5214.  

School Fees 
The board of education approved rounding up by $3.00 its Instructional Resources Fee for books, materials, and digital resources. The Instructional Resources Fee is now $100 for students K- 5 and $150 for students in grades 6-12. The board added a new Device Fee to support the purchase, repair, and maintenance of 1:1 student iPads and MacBooks. The Device Fee is $15 for students K-8 and $25 for students in grades 9-12. All students pay a $15 Activity Trip Transportation Fee. Additional student fees may be assessed for student athletic and co-curricular participation and course enrollment. Otherwise, student fees have remained unchanged since the 2003-2004 school year. Review the complete schedule of fees.

Families may pay student fees online at any time or upon receiving an invoice. The district offers credit card payments and payment plans. 

School Hours
A few schools have changed start and dismissal times. Please review our 2022-2023 School Hours.

Student Transportation
The state of Kansas provides student transportation funding for students living more than 2.5 miles from school by the most direct route from the residence of the pupil. State-reimbursed transportation is the only busing provided by First Student for students of the Lawrence Public Schools. Eligible families may enroll in the student transportation program through First Student, 1548 E. 23rd Street, Suite C, during business hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Enrollment forms may be faxed to 785/841-4388. The 2022-2023 A.M. Bus Routes are subject to change. Please arrive 10 minutes early during the first few weeks of school.

Contact First Student with questions about student transportation at 785-841-3594 or Darlene.Withers@firstgroup.com.

Before- and After-School Programs
Lawrence Public Schools appreciates its partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence. BGC offers before- and after-school programs in all of our elementary schools. It also provides a Teen Center at its Center for Great Futures at 2910 Haskell Avenue. Programs begin August 22, 2022. Enroll online with BGC.

Student Athletics
Please visit your child's middle or high school Athletics website for information about deadlines for completing forms required to participate in athletics, informational meetings, and tryouts. Some of these dates occur before school begins.

Billy Mills MS
Liberty Memorial Central MS
Southwest MS
West MS
Free State HS
Lawrence HS

Back-to-School Newsletters
All of our schools will send back-to-school newsletters with additional information for their families. Please check your email inbox, spam, and junk folders for that information.

Read the district's Back-to-School Newsletter.

We look forward to partnering with school families to support your children's achievement and success!