Lawrence operates 20 public schools serving 10,909 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 12 elementary, 4 middle, 2 high, 2 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 10,858 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Douglas County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,764 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 33.8% local, 59.4% state, and 6.8% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $68,619 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 17/100, ranked #245 of 252 in Kansas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 20 schools offering Advanced Placement (36 AP courses district-wide), a 392.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 33.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 60.0% White, 14.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.1% African American across the district's schools.
Lawrence Free State High accounts for 16.3% of all Lawrence student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Lawrence-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Lawrence school enrollment varies 8.4× across entities
Lawrence school enrollment ranges from 212 students (lowest) to 1,774 students (highest), a spread of 1,562 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Lawrence student-counselor ratio is 393:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Lawrence chronic absenteeism rate is 33.8% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Lawrence has 20 schools, including 2 high, 4 middle, 12 elementary, 2 other. Total enrollment is 10,909 students.
How much does Lawrence spend per student?
Lawrence spends $13,764 per student. The district has an equity score of 17/100, ranking #245 in Kansas.
What is the average teacher salary in Lawrence?
The average teacher salary in Lawrence is $68,619 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Lawrence?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Douglas County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Lawrence?
Lawrence students are 60.0% White, 14.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.1% African American, 2.5% Asian, averaged across 20 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Lawrence?
Lawrence has an equity score of 17/100, ranking #245 out of 252 districts in Kansas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.