Post updated at 9:18 a.m. Thursday, July 18:
Here’s info on when students go back to Lawrence Public Schools, school supply lists, when breaks are scheduled and much more for the 2024-25 school year.
Back to school
The first day of school for kindergarten through 12th grade in Lawrence Public Schools is Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade will have a half-day on Aug. 13 to help students transition into their new school buildings.
The early childhood programs at Kennedy and New York will begin Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Here are the start and dismissal times, including “wacky Wednesdays” and half-day dismissal times, for each school (click here to open the PDF in a new tab):
2024-2025-School-dismissal-timesInformation on school district boundaries, enrollment and more can be found here.
Here are school supply lists for each grade (click here to open the PDF in a new tab):
24.25-Elementary-School-Supply-ListMark your calendars: Breaks and days off
Fall break will be Monday through Friday, Nov. 25 through 29.
There is no school Friday, Dec. 20, and winter break is Monday, Dec. 23 through Friday, Jan. 3.
There is no school on Friday, March 14, and spring break is Friday, March 17 through Friday, March 21.
There is no school for early childhood through high school seniors on Friday, Oct. 11; Friday, Oct. 18; Monday, Jan. 20; Friday, March 7.
The inclement weather makeup day is set for Monday, April 21. If the makeup day is not needed, early childhood through high school seniors will not have school that day.
In addition to the districtwide days off, early childhood through fifth grade will have no school on Wednesday, Sept. 18; Thursday, March 13; and Friday, April 18.
Early childhood through eighth grade will not have school on Thursday, Oct. 17.
Kindergartners will not have school on Wednesday, April 16.
Parent-teacher conferences
Thursday, Oct. 10 is the end of the first quarter; Thursday, Dec. 19 is the end of the second quarter; and Thursday, March 6 is the end of the third quarter.
Parent-teacher conferences for early childhood through eighth grade will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17 and conferences for early childhood through fifth grade will be on Thursday, March 13. Students in those grades will not be in school on conference days. Schools will communicate more details about conferences as the dates approach.
Orientation for new kindergartners will be Wednesday, April 16. Children who reach age 5 on or before Aug. 31, 2025 will be eligible for kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year. Information on school district boundaries, enrollment and more can be found on the district’s website at this link.
Finals and the last day of school
Final exams for high schoolers will be half-days. All high schoolers will have finals on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 18 and 19.
Seniors will also have finals Thursday and Friday, May 15 and 16, and students in ninth, 10th, and 11th grades will have finals Wednesday and Thursday, May 21 and 22.
The last day for high school seniors and early childhood students at Kennedy will be Friday, May 16.
The last day of school for kindergarten through 11th grades will be a half-day on Thursday, May 22.
Here’s a full PDF of the district calendar. (Click here to open it in a new tab.)
2024-25-USD-497-student-calendarIf resources like this are helpful to you, please support The Lawrence Times.
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Save the dates: Class of 2025 graduations
Lawrence Virtual School’s graduation will be Saturday, May 17; Lawrence High’s will be Tuesday, May 20; and Free State’s will be Wednesday, May 21.
Graduations for adult education and other programs are not listed on the district calendar.
Coverage of individual graduations and a roundup of upcoming graduation information will be available at lawrencekstimes.com/graduation.
Additional helpful info
Lunches and breakfasts
The Lawrence school board recently approved the following meal prices:
| Meal | Elementary | Middle | High school |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | $2.00 | $2.10 | $2.15 |
| Lunch | $3.00 | $3.20 | $3.25 |
You can apply for your student(s) to be part of the free and reduced-price lunch program for 2024-25 at this link on the district’s website. Reduced price breakfasts cost 30 cents and lunches cost 40 cents. There’s also more information for households available there.
If your child was approved for free or reduced-price lunches last year, your approval is effective until Sept. 24, but families will need to reapply for the 2024-25 year.
Transportation
The state only provides funding for transportation for students who live more than 2.5 miles from their school.
Eligible families may enroll in the student transportation program between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at First Student, 1548 E. 23rd St., Suite C.
Learn more about transportation, 2024-25 bus routes and how to apply at this link.
More info and ongoing coverage
The district’s website includes a long list of resources, forms and more for parents and students. Find that at this link.
Follow our coverage of important happenings in Lawrence schools at lawrencekstimes.com/usd497. You can also sign up for our email newsletters to make sure you don’t miss any crucial news.
The school district is overseen by the Lawrence school board. Learn more about the board members, when they meet, how to contact them and more at this link.
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