Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical has some new financial estimates to share with the County Commission this week. One is a proposal to increase ambulance fees; the other is a 2026 budget scenario that commissioners asked about in May — one that the department now says would cut more LDCFM staff positions than "the previous 'worst-case' scenario."
At the commission's meeting on Wednesday, LDCFM will provide ...
Kansas has compiled initial statewide data revealing how many lead pipes still deliver drinking water — an urgent step in former President Joe Biden’s push to replace them within the next decade.
Currently, state data estimates that approximately 17,000 lead pipes still carry water from public supplies to private properties in Kansas — significantly fewer than the Environmental Protection Agency’s ...
Despite a rise in graduation rates, Lawrence school officials flagged gaps for Native American students and English learner students and outlined a few steps to address them.
On Monday, school board members learned that the district’s graduation rate has risen by 4.5 percentage points over the past six years — from 82.8% in 2019 to 87.3% in 2024. Although graduation rates have trended upward in recent ...
The Lawrence school district next week will consider increasing the price of full-price school breakfasts and lunches for the 2025-2026 school year.
On Monday, school board members will consider raising the meal prices by 10 cents per meal for students and adults paying full price, according to the board's meeting agenda. Meal prices must be approved in June so that the Nutrition & Wellness Department has ...
The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center has launched a long-term campaign to create a $10 million endowment that would offer debt-free scholarships to low-income high school students and other eligible Douglas County residents.
It’s called the “Peaslee Promise Campaign,” and the endowment will be managed by the Douglas County Community Foundation to support both student scholarships and Peaslee ...
As it celebrates 40 years of supporting public schools, the Lawrence Schools Foundation continues to work behind the scenes to help students with classroom resources, emergency aid and even a new scholarship to mark the milestone anniversary.
Since its establishment in 1985, LSF has invested millions of dollars to support a variety of programs in the district, but Dena Johnston, executive director of the ...
