[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6206552,"mediaKeyId","3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a","parentId",3761650,"title","Public commenters press board over trespass notices, alleged school assault and district response","audioSeconds",624,"startMs",9098000,"endMs",9722000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a&start=9098&end=9722","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a/thumbnail_9098000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6206552/Kansas/Public-commenters-press-board-over-trespass-notices-alleged-school-assault-and-district-response","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206552-5d8d95fd4d4c3c87d7abe2a93551a01f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775779753&Signature=MwSZPhKXp0qdurkuVEXe14IVHvFFtMQhYKX7GOXWhpXv5XfQcd2UY3inwtq6DqSEpHBnDV801EuWGTwZW0DDp4R2OpjsNktyfL~UdyO1hr2h7OA59rG0RvC65AN4F5Nt230ntH~sxvihDWFJiZYRZlF6k46WH1CeDB3kPfjdvgM-w6QvMFYZ9GwwmKI88ru9aeESPgGlwD4MQ-Eu6SVGr5RHCC0TSym0N-fu4iaM7IiRuZWe1LSa1r-Abyzr7t-JqTcYx-rP9ebuiSUm49ed7e72TaoqkNCmjchpoo0t4boaa4SqxULPJDhf-GTHna5iBzIWX6nBZE9gpH7FIPkJDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lawrence Public Schools","date","2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","article","Public comment on June 9 included multiple speakers who raised concerns about district transparency and how the district has handled specific incidents.

A speaker identified as Michael said he received a permanent trespass letter from the district after confronting a board member about a book-related matter; he alleged the letter mischaracterized his conduct and said he recorded interactions that would contradict the district’s description. He asked why the district had trespassed him and asserted he had not broken the law. He was cut off by the presiding officer when his language became profane.

Another speaker, Carrie, said she had been told she was trespassed at a prior meeting and described receiving a letter that characterized her conduct; she said she has a recorded interaction that she says disproves the district’s claims. Carrie said she sought clarification from police officers at the meeting and that officers did not act against her. She said the trespass letter had not identified specific threatening conduct.

Dr. Justin Spies raised free-speech concerns about inconsistency in enforcement of board rules, said he was circulating a local petition about uncensored speech at meetings and asked the board to accept it.

Dr. Courtney spoke about an alleged assault at Prairie Park earlier in the year and said it has been 119 days since her family learned an instructor had been arrested for assaulting one child and that other families later learned the instructor allegedly assaulted additional children. She said families have described the district’s response as silent or insufficient, that some parents and teachers had left, and that nonverbal special-education families were fearful about sending children back to school. She said she had sought follow-up conversations with district leaders and had not received substantive responses. “The district has had 4 months to step up to help prevent [sexual/physical] assault in the future and to help heal some of the harm the incident has caused to our community,” she said, and asked the board for concrete steps and better communication.

The board did not take action during public comment; the district’s public-comment policy and procedures were read into the record before the public-comment period began.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lawrence Public Schools Board of Education Meeting | June 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Several public commenters told the board June 9 they were concerned about district-issued trespass letters, policing of speech at meetings and an alleged assault at Prairie Park that families say has not been adequately addressed.","taxTitle","Lawrence, School Boards, Kansas","taxId",13090,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6206557,"Board hears graduation and equity report showing overall gains and persistent gaps for Native American and English learner students",2543,4483000,7026000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a&start=4483&end=7026","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a/thumbnail_4483000.jpg","/articles/6206557/Kansas/Board-hears-graduation-and-equity-report-showing-overall-gains-and-persistent-gaps-for-Native-American-and-English-learner-students","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206557-9ad999fd2398730b86ff3d6ce3195d61/orig.mp4?Expires=1775779753&Signature=i~uRqaslNkr6wnaz79GehDEiFcGhato6znvERkNiCEzYkZunj~-PVYCF-OKn6ptKJg9mS5l-PTAGKShBfvENYeF1mcBuyG2GjjGRDu5~Q4651t8n29rh2XiE0o72fPJUgCFtKeSK0YvvwmftfiUWoeHrNZOJlSYdob0lZ1YAfao5Xo3QCLtp4zMx6BFnPZoozX5ypUS2dbdpRxlIEfNeBp-2OEHwimuMB9Y2Jux9lUpjp2Dn~paWVqk06xFWuwj8Yiz3qgLqz3aUnlZS8NB87jufLrj1bioN4bKbrirRJVE8QXiU~Y~aggSPAzKFUrrK-DcUA~BMB74nfOzAUYp74g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District leaders presented the 2024 graduation report and equity analysis to the Lawrence Board of Education on June 9, showing overall improvement in on-time graduation but persistent and in some cases widening disparities for specific student groups.

James Polk, director of Data and Assessment, said the district’s four-year on-time graduation rate increased about 4.5 percentage points since 2019 and five-year cohort completion rose roughly 3.8 points. Polk noted that COVID-era accommodations and a district change in credit requirements affect comparisons across years.

Administrators highlighted celebrations and concerns. Dr. Swift praised long-term gains and said graduation rates rose over a decade; principals from the high schools and alternative programs described layered support systems — Link Crew, peer tutoring, student support teams, summer school, credit-recovery platforms such as Odysseyware, the College and Career Academy, AVID and Lawrence Virtual School supports — that are used to keep students on track.

However Polk and Dr. Swift emphasized areas of concern: Native American students’ four-year rate declined from 87.8% to 74.2% (a difference Polk said represented three students in the cohort), and English learners’ four-year rate decreased from 88.5% to 77.4% (Polk noted 53 English-learner students in the 2024 cohort). The district reported increases for students eligible for free and reduced-price meals and for students with disabilities during the same multi-year window.

Dr. Swift said the district will refine action plans focused on Native American students and English learners and has targeted additional staff FTE to increase supports; staff are tracking students enrolled in summer programs and diploma-completion pathways to close gaps for 2025 graduates. The board discussion included questions about attendance, mental-health staffing and how early-childhood programs and extracurricular access factor into long-term outcomes.

No board vote was taken; administrators said they will report follow-up information to the equity council and return to the board with updates on attendance and next steps.","Administrators presented a multi-year view of Lawrence Public Schools’ graduation rates: overall four-year rates have risen since 2019, but disparities remain and have widened for Native American students and English learners; district staff outlined targeted next steps and summer interventions.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6206561,"District presents 10-cent paid-meal price increase to board; no vote tonight",351,2882000,3233000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a&start=2882&end=3233","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a/thumbnail_2882000.jpg","/articles/6206561/Kansas/District-presents-10-cent-paid-meal-price-increase-to-board-no-vote-tonight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206561-7eaa2a38a4c999245a0355dd6837c291/orig.mp4?Expires=1775779753&Signature=J9TzMv-8c30oNxXhV93CP9~iJeNIFmVMIYIcrzPUY0zAuiZJ4-RwTKdAOvfI7fKtVy6vezvicS5rG11bjsyQjt7hx1AYaWWraz5nxl4pWeba6BRl7q8t2XYuyhWHTUu1YNGoU2OxhMS085LRycri2pRYJedZpkm2M60QbAM2m3Q342hGuSt9YdEttpr4M1~PJTl6eiU3uoFf~6noljEQGLVb0p6pMWxZoUvpJX-9spSMPOFBvSHQvPV6Wtf5QF5DEBPuL9QjTUvlyGOiyu1qxt1GNd30JAbtLToO7IjBMtG9ey~2YjI5qxhn8OMwJRvtag6Qif9CRpvAmBx3TiubYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Julie Henry, director of Nutrition and Wellness, told the board on June 9 that the district will recommend a 10¢ increase in paid meal prices (elementary, middle and high schools, and adult meals) at an upcoming meeting to move the district closer to federal paid lunch equity guidance and to halt an ongoing deficit in the food service fund.

Henry said the USDA’s paid-lunch-equity guidance indicates a weighted average paid lunch price of $4.01 for the coming year; Lawrence’s current weighted average paid price is $3.08. She said the district’s “all-in” cost to produce a lunch is about $4.75 (food, labor, insurance, supplies). Free-meal reimbursement this past year averaged $4.86; reduced reimbursement averaged $4.46 (with students paying 40¢); federal/state reimbursement for paid meals is roughly $0.85. Henry said the district’s revenue from paid meals currently averages $3.39, leaving a shortfall of approximately $0.82 per paid lunch served.

“It means we’re losing 82¢ on every meal that we serve to a paid student,” Henry said, and that sustained losses would require a transfer from the district’s general fund to keep the food service program operating. She said the 10¢ increase proposal would raise the district’s straight average lunch price toward $3.25 (still below the $4.01 USDA example), and that free and reduced prices would not change.

Henry and CFO Cindy Frick described the legal and accounting context: the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 established paid-lunch-equity requirements; the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and Kansas cash-basis accounting complicate waiver and transfer considerations for Kansas districts. Frick said capital outlay funds cannot be used to cover food-service deficits; any district offset would need to come from the general fund or supplemental general fund.

Board members and administrators discussed other levers besides price — menu changes, a la carte sales, kitchen staffing and possible central production models — and Henry said the department will continue to evaluate costs and other revenue sources. The board did not vote; the superintendent’s office said the price change will be brought for a future vote and that federal reimbursement rates and next-year food costs (not yet released) may affect final numbers.","Food service staff told the board Lawrence Public Schools will propose a 10¢ increase for paid student meals at the next meeting to reduce a structural shortfall in the food service fund; the presentation explained federal paid lunch equity requirements, current reimbursement levels and alternatives to a price increase.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6206567,"Superintendent: KSDE found no statewide findings after formal complaint about IEP implementation",228,745000,973000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a&start=745&end=973","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3761650-3bae5332c9541d1a0630b7a1520e752a/thumbnail_745000.jpg","/articles/6206567/Kansas/Superintendent-KSDE-found-no-statewide-findings-after-formal-complaint-about-IEP-implementation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206567-09b27ca83005797318b414ccd0bfe888/orig.mp4?Expires=1775779753&Signature=a8wonZOkF82lJynC2wyXyV6YyshS3U61hfDYHKGk3IMEdt0A-ZerUhV9-yuqSxYpwFrrgBoJLV1oTVUkerGBBOcRRgDVLdnTSpe2f0DU6BnAfgd0yaTg05XauXYXooh19llkt7xtZZRR6BkGjd3uFLo6koEUvYtPcHLLPsXtwqbnBL77JmKZi~RvWGtDCMQu2miJ8f~o~Rz7YeFcOgqgtXDywtPdpmKPdOGC8IDztCeVNxGHaX57DJj63e1OhVrCR-zD-lG9k4~JRr5-WxjljaV2bL5tagThzPwIAUKjMw65LoomU1zde2de1coYWnuy8nohDLsp~ZyiXjsM0d7pdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Dr. Swift told the Lawrence Board of Education on June 9 that the district had received a formal complaint this spring alleging that some students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) services were not being implemented as written.

Dr. Swift said the Kansas State Department of Education’s special education investigator reviewed the complaint and “determined that there were no findings indicating that students’ needs are not being met and IEPs are being implemented in Lawrence Public Schools.”

The superintendent also described the district’s approach to special education: Lawrence Public Schools employs about 1,550 professional educators, support staff and building and district leaders and serves approximately 2,430 students on IEPs. Dr. Swift said the district uses the IEP team process, which by law includes parents, to resolve disagreements about services and that federal law provides informal and formal methods for family recourse including a formal complaint process and due process.

Dr. Swift said the district treats every complaint, even those ultimately determined to be unsubstantiated, as a learning opportunity. “Our special education team uses every complaint … as a learning experience for making systemic improvements,” she said.

The superintendent encouraged families with concerns to contact the district directly: “Please reach out, call us, or email. Our team welcomes the opportunity to hear from parents to discuss their child’s educational experience and to work together through any difficulties,” she said.

The district did not vote or take formal action on any new special education policy at the June 9 meeting; the superintendent’s remarks were delivered as part of her regular report and were informational.","Superintendent Dr. Swift told the Lawrence Board of Education that a formal complaint alleging Individualized Education Program requirements were not being met was investigated by the Kansas State Department of Education and found no statewide findings; the district said it will continue to use complaints to improve services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters press board over trespass notices, alleged school assault and district response

Board hears graduation and equity report showing overall gains and persistent gaps for Native American and English learner students

District presents 10-cent paid-meal price increase to board; no vote tonight

Superintendent: KSDE found no statewide findings after formal complaint about IEP implementation