6 takeaways from Lawrence USD 497 school board meeting

District Explores Esports Program

District Starts School Year with All Teaching Positions Filled

Goats to Be Used for Land Management at Langston Hughes

District Bakery Opens, Sourcing Local Grain

Preschool Program Expands to Serve More Students

State Task Force Considers Overhaul of Special Education Funding

1. District Explores Esports Program

LAWRENCE - The Lawrence Board of Education is exploring the creation of a district-wide, KSHSAA-sanctioned esports program for middle and high school students. The discussion followed a presentation by students Eli May and Travis Matthews, who described the positive impact of the current club-level esports team on their high school experience, including developing leadership skills and winning the Sunflower State Games Grand Championship in Rocket League. Dr. Larry Englebrick, Deputy Superintendent, noted that in other states with sanctioned programs, about 47% of participants were engaging in a school activity for the first time. Board members raised questions regarding the total financial commitment, ensuring equitable access to equipment for all students, and the source of funding, which could come from building activity budgets, the general fund, or capital outlay. The program would require students to meet the same academic eligibility standards as those in traditional athletics.

2. District Starts School Year with All Teaching Positions Filled

LAWRENCE - For the first time in several years, Lawrence Public Schools began the academic year with all teaching and learning positions fully covered. Board President GR Gordon-Ross called it a “notable milestone,” crediting the district’s human resources team and its work on recruitment and retention. While celebrating the progress, Gordon-Ross acknowledged that the district is not yet fully staffed in every area and stressed that sustaining this achievement depends on continuing to strengthen staff compensation. The announcement highlighted a significant step forward for the district in overcoming the teacher shortages that have impacted schools in recent years.

3. Goats to Be Used for Land Management at Langston Hughes

LAWRENCE - In an unconventional approach to groundskeeping, the school district will use goats to remove overgrown vegetation on the Langston Hughes Elementary School property during the month of September. Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Kerr Swift announced that a fence is being installed, with the goats scheduled to arrive later this week. The herd is expected to remain on-site for about a month, with their enclosure being moved around the property as they clear the vegetation. Dr. Swift expressed excitement about the project, noting it will be a delight for students and could serve as a “teachable moment” for science classes and other lessons.

4. District Bakery Opens, Sourcing Local Grain

LAWRENCE - Lawrence Public Schools has launched a new, centralized bakery operating out of Pinckney Elementary School to provide fresh, healthy options for students across the district. Since starting production on August 13, the bakery has already produced more than 16,000 items from scratch, including thousands of blueberry scones, cinnamon rolls, and dinner rolls. The initiative, supported by a $100,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture (Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure), is committed to sourcing at least 50% of its grain from local farmers. Furthermore, the facility will serve as a real-world learning laboratory for students in the district’s community transitions program, where they can gain valuable job and cooking skills.

5. Preschool Program Expands to Serve More Students

LAWRENCE - The district has significantly expanded its early childhood education offerings, opening two new preschool classrooms this fall at Sunflower and Woodlawn elementary schools. The expansion has increased enrollment by 43 students, bringing the total number of preschoolers to about 263, up from 220 last year. Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Kerr Swift described the expansion as a core “equity strategy” aimed at providing a strong educational foundation for the district’s youngest learners. The growth reflects the district’s focus on the well-documented, lifelong benefits of high-quality early childhood education.

6. State Task Force Considers Overhaul of Special Education Funding

LAWRENCE - Board member Kelly Jones reported on recent meetings of the state’s Education Funding Task Force, which is seriously considering structural changes to how Kansas funds special education. The task force is exploring a move away from the current reimbursement model toward a formula/weighting-style approach more aligned with the state’s foundation funding formula. Jones noted that any new model would need to be sustainable, equitable, and predictable while reflecting the actual costs of services. The outcome of these discussions could have major financial implications for the district’s ability to fund its special education programs.

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