Lawrence Public Schools
Listed by NCES as Lawrence (district ID 2008400)
Public school district · Douglas County · Kansas · NCES district ID 2008400
Lawrence Public Schools spent $12,176 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 77% of the other Kansas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,446). Its 18 schools enrolled 10,380 students in 2024-25; 57.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,393 per student, up 1.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 87% (Kansas: 88%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Kansas's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Lawrence Public Schools ranks 9.
Where the money came from
$168,535,000 in revenue: 57.0% state, 33.6% local and 9.4% federal. Total spending including $12,243,000 of capital outlay was $151,792,000, or $13,914 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$96,109,000 57%
- Local$56,576,000 34%
- Federal$15,850,000 9%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 83 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
10,908 students in 2022-23, 10,592 students in 2023-24, 10,380 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 10,908 | 676.9 | 16.1 |
| 2023-24 | 10,592 | 620.6 | 17.1 |
| 2024-25 | 10,380 | 686.8 | 15.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$43,335,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,972 per student
Lawrence Public Schools booked $43,335,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 769 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $56,383 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 42 in 100 Kansas districts with a figure (state median $57,761, 260 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Kansas teacher salary at $54,815 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $34,181,000 | 78.9% |
| Special education | $7,774,000 | 17.9% |
| Vocational | $1,100,000 | 2.5% |
| Other programs | $280,000 | 0.6% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,679 in 2018-19, $3,848 in 2019-20, $4,020 in 2020-21, $4,120 in 2021-22, $3,972 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Lawrence Public Schools scored proficient or above: 38% in reading and 32% in math, against 32.5% in reading and 29.4% in math across Kansas. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Kansas, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Kansas | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 38% | 32.5% | 5,404 |
| Math | 32% | 29.4% | 5,277 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
87% of the 985 students in Lawrence Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88% across Kansas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 87% | 88% |
| Students in the class | 985 | 36,783 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
11 elementary schools, 4,440 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langston Hughes Elementary | 560 | 19.2 | 12.9% | Not Title I |
| Sunflower Elementary | 444 | 13.4 | 33.6% | Not Title I |
| Schwegler Elementary | 434 | 13.9 | 52.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Deerfield Elementary | 433 | 15.2 | 24.7% | Not Title I |
| Quail Run Elementary | 421 | 15.4 | 23.0% | Not Title I |
| New York Elementary | 415 | 19.9 | 48.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Sunset Hill Elementary | 398 | 14.0 | 40.2% | Eligible, no program |
| Hillcrest Elementary | 393 | 11.8 | 53.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Prairie Park Elementary | 354 | 13.6 | 44.6% | Targeted program |
| Cordley Elementary | 348 | 11.9 | 50.6% | Targeted program |
| Woodlawn Elementary | 240 | 12.1 | 43.3% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 middle schools, 2,169 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence West Middle School | 648 | 14.6 | 29.3% | Not Title I |
| Lawrence Southwest Middle School | 641 | 15.6 | 21.1% | Not Title I |
| Billy Mills Middle School | 494 | 14.6 | 50.0% | Eligible, no program |
| Lawrence Liberty Memorial Central Mid School | 386 | 13.9 | 49.0% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 3,228 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Free State High | 1,774 | 16.4 | 24.3% | Not Title I |
| Lawrence High | 1,454 | 14.6 | 37.5% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 543 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Virtual School | 543 | 21.8 | not reported | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Broken Arrow Elementary
Elementary school in Lawrence; 266 students; 14.4 students per teacher.
Pinckney Elementary
Elementary school in Lawrence; 212 students; 13.1 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Lawrence Public Schools
- Website: usd497.org
- Phone: (785) 832-5000
- Office: 110 McDonald Drive, Lawrence, KS 66044
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Lawrence Public Schools
- Kansas districts by spending per studentLawrence Public Schools ranks 64 of 83 Kansas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,176).#64 of 83
- Every school district in KansasLawrence Public Schools is the number 7 by size of 290 Kansas districts, with 10,909 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#7 of 290
- Topeka Public SchoolsThe next larger Kansas district: 12,858 students in fall 2022, $17,228 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,228
- Andover Public SchoolsThe next smaller Kansas district: 8,987 students in fall 2022, $7,745 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$7,745
- Compare Lawrence Public Schools with Topeka Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Lawrence Free State High, its largest high school1,774 students in 2024-25, 16.4 per teacher.1,774
- Teacher salary spending across KansasLawrence Public Schools spent $56,383 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $57,761); spending, not a salary.$56,383
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Lawrence Public Schools
How many schools and students are in Lawrence Public Schools?
18 schools were open in 2024-25 (11 elementary, 4 middle, 2 high, 1 other), enrolling 10,380 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Lawrence Public Schools spend per student?
$12,176 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Kansas median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,446 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,393 per student, up 1.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Lawrence Public Schools' money come from?
$168,535,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 57.0% state, 33.6% local and 9.4% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Lawrence Public Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,250 of the 12,213 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Lawrence Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$43,335,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,972 per student. Divided by the 769 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $56,383 per teacher, more than 42 in 100 Kansas districts (state median $57,761). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Kansas teacher salary at $54,815 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Lawrence Public Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Lawrence Public Schools scored proficient or above: 38% in reading and 32% in math, against 32.5% in reading and 29.4% in math across Kansas. Kansas's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Lawrence Public Schools?
87% of the 985 students in Lawrence Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 88% across Kansas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Lawrence Public Schools' NCES district ID?
2008400. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25