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Lawrence school board adds Indigenous Peoples Day as paid holiday, hears NASS report
Lawrence school board members approved calendars for 2026-2028 that include Indigenous Peoples Day as a paid holiday the same evening that they received a report on Native American Student Services.
MORE USD 497 & K-12 EDUCATION NEWS
A moment in Lawrence: Free State grad honored with P.E.O. scholarship
Free State High School graduate Becca Craft has been selected for the P.E.O. STAR scholarship from the Lawrence chapter.
Lawrence school board approves district’s 2024-25 capital improvement plan
The Lawrence school board on Tuesday approved the district’s capital improvement plan with about $17.3 million in expenditures, mostly involving facility repairs, budgeted for next school year.
Lawrence school board to consider approving capital improvement plan
The Lawrence school board on Tuesday will consider approving the district’s five-year capital improvement plan with about $17.3 million in expenditures budgeted for the 2024-25 year.
Free lunches, meal kits available for Lawrence kids this summer
This summer, children ages 18 and younger will be able to eat a free lunch on weekdays in Lawrence, and families can pick up weekly meal kits to prepare and plan ahead.
Pancho Metz / Lawrence Times
‘Our story is undeniably permanent’: Lawrence High Class of 2024 celebrates graduating
Time waits for no one, but time must pass to write a beautiful story together, Finn Lotton-Barker told his fellow Lawrence High School graduates Wednesday.
Free State High School thespian earns rising star award
In recognition of her impact on her theatre troupe, Free State High School sophomore Ebi Hegeman has earned a rising star award.
Prairie Park Elementary celebrates powering up solar panels
The Prairie Park Elementary School community on Friday celebrated the installation of solar panels on the school’s roof — the Lawrence school district’s first renewable energy pilot project.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Students and community celebrate C-Tran, secondary therapeutic classroom graduates
Gratefulness was the theme Friday as families, teachers, paras and students celebrated this year’s group of C-Tran and secondary therapeutic classroom graduates from Community Connections at Pinckney.
New York Elementary principal to resign
Sunny Halsted, principal of New York Elementary School, will resign after the end of the school year to take a position in another district.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Project SEARCH interns graduate, secure jobs with KU, Lawrence Memorial Hospital
A staff member described this year’s nine graduates from Project SEARCH, the Lawrence school district’s program for young adults with disabilities who are entering the workforce, as “our group of character.”
Carter Gaskins/Lawrence Times
Lawrence, Free State and more graduations coming up
Graduations are coming up fast for high school seniors and more in Lawrence. Here are the whens and wheres for the big celebrations.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Brad Stoll takes home $10K prize for contributions ‘to the entire USD 497 community’
The Lawrence Schools Foundation on Tuesday presented its annual Bobs Award to special education teacher Brad Stoll, who works with students of all abilities across the Lawrence school district through the adaptive P.E. program.
Lawrence school district teachers survey indicates disengagement with jobs, satisfaction with colleague relationships
A majority of Lawrence school district teachers continue to generally feel disengaged with their work, but relationships with their colleagues remain a highlight of their jobs, according to a human resources report.
Lawrence school district will sell East Heights property for affordable housing project
The Lawrence school district will sell its former East Heights Elementary School property to developers planning to build affordable single-family homes.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Lawrence school board to consider selling East Heights property for affordable housing project
The Lawrence school board on Monday will consider approving the sale of the district’s former East Heights Elementary School property to develop affordable single-family homes.





