Lawrence High School, which was first opened in 1955, is one of three public high school campuses in Lawrence, serving students in grades 10 through 12.

Lawrence High’s campus, at the southwest corner of 19th and Lousiana streets, was first opened in 1955.

It took the place of the former Liberty Memorial High School. The old LMHS building at 14th and Massachusetts was used as the city’s junior high and is now Central Junior High, one of four junior highs.

Lawrence High’s building swelled with students during the 1980s and 1990s, leading to a major renovation in the late 1990s.

Eventually, LHS became the largest Class A high school in the state. And because of overcrowding and the need for new facilities, a new $25.8 million high school was approved by voters in 1994 near Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive. Free State High School was opened in 1997.

A third campus, Lawrence Alternative High School, 2600 W. 25th, is located just south and east of the Holcom Park Recreation Center at 27th Street and Lawrence Avenue. The Alternative High School provides a flexible curriculum to students wanting to receive their high school diplomas but for whom a traditional school setting isn’t a good fit.

Budget restrictions have led the district’s administration to transfer the program from the Alternative High to LHS and Free State during the next academic year.

Enrollment and socioeconomic mix

Students in Lawrence who live north of 15th Street attend Free State, while those living south of 15th Street attend LHS.

Lawrence High School1901 Louisiana St.Lawrence, KS 66046-2999Phone number: 785-832-5050School Web site:lhs.usd497.org360 Photo: Art classroom360 Photo: Lobby360 Photo: Auditorium

Lawrence High School is the biggest high school in the city, with 1,265 students counted on Sept. 20, 2004 (compared to 1,218 at Free State).

Those included 452 sophomores, 408 juniors and 405 seniors.

The Kansas Department of Education’s Report Card for LHS, showed that during the 2003-2004 school year, 25.29 percent of the students were economically disadvantaged.

The building’s ethnicity mixed was as follows on the state report: white, 78.11 percent; African-American, 8.89 percent; Hispanic, 4.18 percent, and other, 8.82 percent.

Reading scores

According to the latest state report card for LHS, 11th-grade students showed an increase in reading assessments over the previous year’s students.

LHS students scored lower than their peers in the district, but higher than their peers across the state on the 11th-grade reading assessments.

The percentage of the school’s 11th-graders who were “proficient,” “advanced,” or “exemplary” in reading jumped from from 63.7 percent in 2003 to 66.5 percent in 2004 on the latest state test.

The Lawrence district’s overall reading score for 11th-graders showed that 67.2 percent were either proficent, advanced or exemplary in reading. The overall state score was 62.4 percent for those combined categories.

Math scores

The state report card also shows LHS’s 10th-graders scored the same on the state math assessments as their peers at the district level, but higher than those at the state level.

LHS’s 10th-graders tested in math showed an increase from 54.3 percent in 2003 to 60.9 percent in 2004 for the percent of students scoring at either “proficient,” “advanced” or “exemplary levels.”

That compared with 60.9 percent for the entire district and 50.3 percent for the state.

Sports

Sports offered at Lawrence’s two high schools are as follows: bowling (new this year), boys baseball, boys basketball, girls basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, girls golf, boys golf, girls gymnastics, boys soccer, girls soccer, girls softball, boys swimming, girls swimming, boys tennis, girls tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling.

The school’s mascot is the Chesty Lion, and school colors are red and black.

Staffing

The school’s staff includes a total of 165 teachers and support staff.

Steve Nilhas has been LHS’s principal since 2003. He was superintendent of the Hill City school district from 1999-2003.

LHS’s associate principal is Matthew Brungardt. Assistant principals are Jan Gentry and Kyle Hayden.

LHS has a “zero hour” that begins at 7:05 a.m. Regular hours begin at 8:05 a.m. and end at 3:05 p.m.

To arrange a visit to LHS, call 785-832-5050.