To the editor:

We were saddened to read about the closing of Lawrence Alternative High School, which both of our children benefited from being able to attend.

Despite the earlier struggles that led us to request transfer to the alternative high school, our son recently graduated with honors from the University of California at Berkeley, and our daughter, a pre-nursing student at Washburn University, was recommended for honors classes after her first semester. When our children were experiencing the issues many teenagers struggle with, the staff at LAHS provided them with emotional support they could not find at a large school. As concerned parents, we were trying to keep our kids in school in hopes that one day they would reach the potentials that we knew they were capable of.

All LAHS students and staff share a special bond. Our daughter still stops to visit with her teachers from time to time. We believe that the smaller student population is very important to the success of this school. We don’t think that these students’ test scores will improve by moving them back to Lawrence and Free State, but rather they will be more likely to simply drop out of school.

On behalf of our family, we would like to thank Principal Judy Juneau and the LAHS staff for all that they did for us. You were truly a blessing to us during difficult times.

Paul Bowen,

Deana Bowen,

Lawrence