District faces $15 million shortfall as state underfunds special education

New state mandate threatens financial penalties for student walkouts

State imposes new literacy requirements for elementary schools

Kansas opts into federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program, excluding public schools

District to open new Family Engagement Center this fall

District accepts all preschool applicants for fall 2026

Time capsule missing during Centennial campus renovations

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visits Cordley Elementary

Four Lawrence High School students win national gold medals in art

Board appoints new assistant director of visual and performing arts

District faces $15 million shortfall as state underfunds special education

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Lawrence Public Schools will again rely heavily on local property taxes to cover special education costs following the conclusion of the Kansas Legislature's 2026 session. A legislative update provided during Monday's school board meeting said the new state budget includes only $6 million in new special education funding statewide. District officials said that covers only the mid-60 percent range of excess costs, leaving the Lawrence district to pull about $15 million from local operating funds to maintain federally mandated services.

New state mandate threatens financial penalties for student walkouts

LAWRENCE, Kan. - A budget provision advanced by the Kansas Legislature would penalize school districts if students participate in school-day protests. Under the provision, the Kansas State Department of Education would be directed to establish an approach under which student walkout time would not count as instructional time, and districts could face a financial penalty tied to the superintendent's pay for each day a walkout occurs. Concerns were raised about the mandate, pointing to the district's history of civically engaged students and questioning whether the provision could survive constitutional scrutiny.

State imposes new literacy requirements for elementary schools

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Lawrence elementary schools could see significant changes to reading instruction and staffing over the next few years as Kansas lawmakers continue to expand literacy requirements tied to the state's Blueprint for Literacy and the Every Child Can Read Act. District officials said the changes would require additional screening and intervention for early grades and, over time, expanded access to licensed reading specialists for elementary buildings.

Kansas opts into federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program, excluding public schools

LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Kansas Legislature overrode the governor's veto to opt the state into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program scheduled to begin in 2027. District officials said public-school families are unlikely to benefit directly because the program is structured around private donations to scholarship-granting organizations, with scholarship funds generally used for eligible expenses tied to private education options.

District to open new Family Engagement Center this fall

LAWRENCE, Kan. - In a shift from traditional parent involvement to what district leaders described as more "authentic family engagement," plans were reviewed to open the district's new Family Engagement Center at 110 McDonald Drive this fall. District leaders said the site is intended to serve as a centralized location offering wraparound supports, parent learning opportunities and links to community resources.

District accepts all preschool applicants for fall 2026

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Lawrence Public Schools will accept all 261 preschool applicants for fall 2026, district officials said. Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift said every child who applied will have a reserved seat for early childhood classrooms at multiple sites, including the Kennedy Early Childhood Center, with families to receive confirmation messages to finalize enrollment.

Time capsule missing during Centennial campus renovations

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Demolition work is nearly complete at the historic Centennial site as the district continues preparations for its flexible high school choice campus, but construction crews have encountered an unexpected snag, district officials said. While excavating a concrete slab in an area where a 1955 time capsule was believed to have been buried, workers found it missing. District officials said they believe the capsule may have been misplaced or relocated years ago and asked community members to help return it so it can be opened when the renovated building debuts.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visits Cordley Elementary

LAWRENCE, Kan. - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited Cordley Elementary School last week, reading to students and talking with them about education and perseverance. Sotomayor shared from her children's book, "Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You," and spent time speaking with students and staff, including conversing in Spanish with a student. Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift praised Sotomayor's remarks as supportive of public education and accessible to children.

Four Lawrence High School students win national gold medals in art

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Lawrence High School students Leila Albaugh, Wren Jay, Rilo Scholz and Lynorah Roberts earned national gold medals in the Scholastic Art Awards, placing them among top student artists nationwide, district officials said. The students are expected to be recognized at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and their work is slated for inclusion in a national exhibition and publication.

Board appoints new assistant director of visual and performing arts

LAWRENCE, Kan. - The hiring of a new assistant director of visual and performing arts was unanimously approved, filling a newly created role intended to advocate for arts programming across the district. Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift said the position responds to long-standing requests from students, teachers and community members for dedicated district-level arts leadership.

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