According to a Lawrence Times article published on Feb. 7, 2025, the Lawrence Arts Center began laying off staff as the board asked them to cut $500,000 worth of expenses. This was following an almost...

Since its 1906 inception, the Boys & Girls Club of America has been a vital resource for millions of school-aged children and their families, serving over 4 million members nationwide. In Lawrence,...

After deliberation over multiple sessions, the Kansas Senate passed the 2025-2026 school budget on March 27. The Kansas State Board of Education recommended $84 million for special education but legislators...

On Monday, Dec. 1, the USD497 Board of Education unanimously voted to make Liberty Memorial Central Middle School a 'magnet school,' or a public school with a unique curriculum. The accepted curriculum...

After the announcement last semester, students, teachers and parents were initially very critical of the movements from laptops to iPads (Stella Mosier’s editorial could be linked here or mentioned)....

Over the past few years, USD497 has made significant budget cuts to extracurriculars. Students from kindergartners to seniors have been affected by the district’s cuts, but previously underfunded programs,...

After the first few weeks back, staff is left to frantically figure out how to handle the increase in classroom sizes. The Board of Education’s budget cuts decreased teachers' positions, creating a domino...

After serving as the Director of Orchestras program for 11 years at the school, Judy Erpelding has announced her resignation, effective May 26.  With this position being her first teaching job, she...

The USD 497 Board of Education voted to close Pinckney and Broken Arrow Elementary on Monday in an attempt to bridge the $9.6 million budget deficit.  Despite two public hearings at Broken Arrow...

On Monday, Feb. 27, the USD 497 Board of Education hosted a board meeting to hear administration and community input, in addition to the Future Planning Committee’s final proposal.  “We have cut,...

For six years, USD 497 high school students have been provided with MacBooks for school; however, the school board has opted to transition to iPads next year. The board made the decision on Jan. 23,...