The buffalo will roam on the Kansas quarter, if high school students in Lawrence get their way.

Students at Lawrence High School and Free State High School picked a design with the state animal over three other candidates during voting for the official state quarter Wednesday.

“I like the buffalo,” said Elizabeth Bodel, a sophomore at LHS. “I think it’s kind of cool. There’s always been buffalo in Kansas. This has our history.”

The bison design stampeded to victory in Lawrence with about 38 percent of the vote. A design with a sunflower and wheat garnered 29 percent, a depiction of the “Ad Astra” sculpture atop the Capitol received 28 percent and a plain sunflower design got 6 percent.

The U.S. Mint is honoring each state with a commemorative quarter issued between 1999 and 2008. Kansas legislators decided high school students should choose the design for the Kansas quarter, which will be issued in August 2005.

Students across the state are voting this week on the four designs by mint engravers, based on submissions from the Kansas Commemorative Coin Commission.

Statewide results will be announced late next week.

LHS sophomores in Jack Hood’s seminar class Wednesday colored their designs as they checked the box next to their choice.

“This is a moment in your life you’re going to remember,” Hood said as he distributed the ballots.

Lawrence High School sophomore Becca Ball, 15, colors in the designs on her Kansas quarter design ballot. Students at Free State and Lawrence high schools on Wednesday voted for their favorite of four designs.

At least some of the students appreciated that.

“I think it’s a good idea” to have students vote, said Marissa Ballard. “I would have been angry if they just chose a quarter without asking anyone. It would have been chosen by old, boring people.”

Donald Baldwin said he chose the buffalo design partly because it also incorporates the sunflower, which is the state flower.

“It had almost everything on it,” he said.

Not everyone was so interested in the process.

Mike Austin wasn’t impressed by the designs, so he opted to design a quarter design saying simply “KU.”

“They just seem to be stereotypes of Kansas, really,” he said. “It’s all buffalo and Indians. It makes us look like we’re not modernized.”

6News video: High school students vote on Kansas quarter Vote for your favorite quarter design Students participate in two-bit election (4-27-04) Vote on Kansas quarter design surprises high school officials (4-25-04) Final state quarter designs favor sunflowers, wheat (2-21-04) Sebelius names quarter commission (6-28-03) Bill would let teens vote for artwork on state’s quarter (2-26-03) Vote in the state’s online poll