Starting in 2025-2026, the school district made the executive decision to cut down almost every teachers’ classes from six to five in order to give each of them an additional plan period called professional...

Women from all over the Sunflower State gather in Pratt, Kan. in an attempt to take home the title of Miss Kansas each year. This year, Free State math teacher Stephanie Harris took on the role of executive...

With the end of the school year around the corner, English teacher Josie Clark is leaving the nest to make her move back to Missouri, ultimately concluding her final year at Free State, and her fifth year...

This quarter, numerous students have been nominated as Student of the Quarter. Students are chosen based on their behaviors in the classroom, how they represent their best selves through actively showing...

USD 497 is currently implementing the Centegix CrisisAlert System. With the goal to increase safety measures, the district has agreed to a five-year agreement with an annual recurring fee of $49,200 to...

With over 200 participants, the National Honor Society teacher supply drive gave school supplies to over 80 teachers. The drive occurred on Jan. 21, and was the first ever NHS school supply drive.  According...

It was the same as any other ordinary day as senior Lucas Fearn and ceramics teacher Mr. Lewis ate lunch together after school in the ceramics room. “On Wednesday of the second week of school...

Lawrence Public Schools recently received petitions from Lawrence educators and parents regarding a revision of the student handbook and more specifically cell phone use in the classroom. The petitions...

After three teachers in three years, the Orchestra program looks toward the future with their newest teacher, Dawn Herron. This is Herron’s 17th year teaching and first time teaching in Kansas. Previously,...

With initial plans to be in Lawrence only for a short period of time, JV soccer coach, West Middle School basketball coach and occasional substitute teacher Daniel Schoettemer was prepared with escape...

As the year comes to an end, math teacher Annette McDonald is preparing to retire after more than 20 years of teaching and coaching at Free State. Since McDonald was young, she knew that she wanted to...