The Lawrence school board on Wednesday approved a $1 hourly raise for education support professionals.
Board members voted 7-0 to approve the 2025-26 contract agreement, which will move the lowest paid ESPs to the next level on the salary schedule in addition to the dollar raise for all of them. The new minimum hourly wage will increase from $14.02 to $15.46.
Qualifying staff would also continue to see horizontal movement — a pay increase based on years in the district.
ESPs include paraprofessionals, custodians, secretaries and other support staff. Many work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
The district proposed a 54-cent raise at the first negotiations meeting on Aug. 14, which would bring the lowest wage for ESPs to around $15. But the ESP bargaining team said that was insufficient. At the second negotiations meeting on Sept. 9, the district returned, adding 46 cents to its original offer, and the bargaining team accepted. Close to 98% of union members voted on Sept. 23 to ratify the contract.
Board member Kelly Jones commended the district for reaching an amount higher than expected this year. But sharing some national data on Kansas’ lag behind other states, she made a request of the district that she said several of her board colleagues have already initiated: to create a plan to reach a living wage in 2026-27.
She also proposed a potential switch from annual budgeting to two-year advance budgeting, and Superintendent Jeanice Swift confirmed she has more experience with the latter.
“I don’t mean any disrespect to anyone that came before you, but in 23 years of watching Lawrence Public Schools and being an advocate for this district, I think you are the most positioned superintendent to do this,” Jones told Swift. “No pressure, I really think that you might be able to get us closer than we’ve ever been.”
Lawrence Education Association, the union that represents both teachers and ESPs, entered this year’s bargaining season — like past years — hoping to achieve a living wage. LEA originally requested a $3.10 raise, which would bring the lowest hourly wage to $17.12.
The living wage for a single adult living in Lawrence with no children is currently $20.87.
Board member Shannon Kimball echoed Jones’ sentiments. She added she’d also like to look at ways to modify the teachers’ salary matrix as part of this work.
“I think it’s important for us to acknowledge that we have a black hole in the middle of that matrix where our mid-career teachers can go elsewhere and make a lot more money in districts within short driving distance, and that is not OK, because we need them to stay here and do the work that they do with our kids in Lawrence Public Schools,” Kimball said.
The $1 raise will cost the district about $1.13 million more — a close to 6% increase to the ESP salary pool.
ESPs will also continue to receive full medical, dental and vision insurance. The illness leave pool that previously existed but was retired several years ago was reinstated in the contract. Additionally, a new catastrophic leave pool is included, giving more room for ESPs with personal, family or medical needs to take work off.
In other business:
• Consent agenda items: The board approved several items Wednesday as part of its consent agenda, a list routinely approved in one motion unless a board member or the superintendent pulls an item for discussion.
Among those items was a new whistleblower policy, which “provides new protections for municipal employees, including school district staff, who report unlawful or dangerous conduct,” according to the meeting agenda.
Additionally, the board will move from BoardDocs — the meeting agenda platform currently in use for $9,000 annually — to Diligent Community, for $12,500 annually.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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