Lawrence Public Schools
All Students. One Team.
Hello, Lawrence Public Schools Community,
We have enjoyed a great start to this fourth quarter, and what a delight to visit with so many school families about their children's progress during parent-teacher conferences. My sincere thanks to all families who attended conferences. We are also grateful to every parent and community partner who lifted up our teachers and staff with kindness this week by providing meals, treats, and other forms of appreciation.
2025-2026 School Calendar
We are pleased to share our 2025-26 School Calendar, enthusiastically approved by the Board Monday evening. Highlights next year include improved alignment across elementary, middle, and high school schedules; earlier parent-teacher conferences, and additional inclement weather make-up time embedded internally throughout the school year. Additionally, school breaks are more evenly distributed across the calendar. These adjustments represent consistent feedback received from our teachers, staff, and parents, and we are grateful for the thoughtful and creative work of our Calendar Committee.
Inclement Weather Make-Up Plan
A reminder that there is no school March 17-21, and all district buildings will be closed to the public next week. When we return to school March 24, our Inclement Weather Make-Up Plan takes effect.
This plan includes the addition of 15 minutes to the school day on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and an additional 25 minutes on Wednesdays, for the remainder of the year. We did look at using only our Wednesday early dismissal time while discussing how to make up lost instructional hours, yet this would not have provided enough minutes to achieve the needed hours.
We will use April 21 as a regular school day, as planned, on our designated inclement weather make-up day. Finally, May 22 becomes a full day of school followed by an early-release last day of school on May 23. Our principals will share dismissal times specific to each school. Thank you for your patience and understanding during nine inclement weather days, used in the interest of health and safety, and for your cooperation with making up necessary instructional time.
Student Safety
In case you missed it, we recently shared an update about steps we regularly take to ensure student safety. This commitment includes responding immediately when concerns arise. As part of our culture of safety, we continually update policies, programs, and training designed to promote child safety and protect students from threats present in our society. Learn more about our steps to ensure student safety.
Caring, high-quality public schools are the outgrowth of engaged and supportive communities. Thank you for all you do to support the educational experiences of our more than 10,500 students and the remarkable teachers, staff, and leaders who serve them each day.
Wishing you a safe and peaceful spring break,
Jeanice Kerr Swift
Superintendent
Lawrence Public Schools
Early Childhood Center
Kennedy Early Childhood Center welcomes enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year. The Center offers a wide range of services for families.
Our Pre-K Readiness Program provides a high-quality early childhood educational experience for children turning four years old by August 31, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend preschool. We offer to eligible families a free, full-day program, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. (No school Wednesdays.)
Lawrence Early Childhood Special Education Services utilizes a transdisciplinary team approach to stimulate the growth and learning of young children ages three to five. Services include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology,
social work, school psychology, and school health.
Our Early Childhood Special Education Peer Modeling Program is a unique opportunity for children ages three to five to model classroom behavior and skills for children with developmental delays. We aim for a 50/50 classroom model (50% students with disabilities and 50% peer models). Peer models help students with special needs reach their learning goals through play and social interaction.
Complete New Student Registration to apply for these early childhood programs. Contact Kennedy Early Childhood Center after we return from spring break at 785-832-5760 to learn more about these and other services we provide, including Douglas County Early Childhood Developmental Services (birth to age 3), Parents as Teachers (prenatal-age 5), and free monthly developmental screenings (ages 3-5).
Interested in Montessori?
The Montessori method uses mixed age groups. Students are inspired and mentored by one another. Educational cycles last three years and strengthen relationships among the environment, teacher guides, and peers, fostering a solid community.
Learn more about New York Montessori, the first school of its kind in Kansas! Contact us at 785-832-5780 after we return from spring break. Complete New Student Registration to apply.
Our Pre-K program, for children turning three or four years old by August 31, is free to families who qualify, or available on a monthly tuition basis.
All families may apply to New York Montessori. Families living in the New York school neighborhood receive priority placement. Families outside of the New York attendance area may complete a 2025-2026 In-District Elementary School Transfer Request Form. We accept transfers on a space-available basis.
Sign up for Kindergarten!
Starting kindergarten -- What an exciting milestone for your child and family!
Kansas children turning five years old by August 31 may attend kindergarten. All our elementary schools offer a full-day kindergarten program.
Join us!
Step 1: Register your kindergartner for school. (We encourage 2025-2026 school year registration prior to this spring's Kindergarten Orientation on April 16.)
Step 2: Bring required documents to your child's school to complete your registration.
Step 3: Your family will receive an invitation from your child's school to attend Kindergarten Orientation April 16.
Step 4: Attend Kindergarten Orientation to meet your child's future teachers and staff, tour the school and classrooms, learn about daily schedules, curriculum, and school routines; participate in a Q&A session, and discover ways to help your child successfully transition to kindergarten.
Step 5: Browse these resources to learn more about kindergarten and Kindergarten Orientation.
We are excited to partner with your family on your child's educational journey!