Superintendent highlights volunteer food efforts, backpack meals and Lawrence’s FIFA World Cup role

Superintendent Dr. Janice Kerswift told the Lawrence Board of Education on Feb. 23 that the district is leaning on community partnerships to support students’ basic needs, school programming and staff recruitment.

Dr. Kerswift said volunteers and the Lawrence Schools Foundation recently delivered more than 12 pallets of snacks and that volunteers assembled 185 grant-funded backpacks filled with ready-to-prepare meals to support students who need additional nourishment on weekends. "These small steps can make a significant difference for our students to remain focused and engaged and ready to learn," she said.

The superintendent also described community engagement at school events, including Hillcrest Elementary’s career day, Free State High School’s participation in AP Day at the Kansas State Capitol and a Reality U finance simulation at West Middle School. She praised a STEAM robotics outreach and an Intertribal Club powwow, thanking organizers and student leaders.

On donations and resources, Dr. Kerswift announced a $15,000 halftime donation from Truity Credit Union that will be split between the two high schools to support sports nutrition stations called the "Trudy Fuel Zone." She emphasized ongoing work to post annual equity and informational reports on the district website under the superintendent and Board of Education tabs to improve transparency.

Dr. Kerswift also described a human-resources recruitment event that drew 40-plus reservations and same-day interviews, and she announced that the Algerian national soccer team selected Lawrence as its 2026 FIFA World Cup base-camp community, calling it a "unique opportunity" to explore educational and cultural connections.

What’s next: Dr. Kerswift said the district will continue student focus-group conversations at multiple schools and expects to present additional data on staff recruitment and retention in March.