To help very low-income residents maintain stable housing, Douglas County and two nonprofits hope to create a pool of funding to assist them with rent, utilities and other financial needs, a project that could take a step forward this week. The program is called a "flexible housing pool," and it would be a collaborative effort between the county, the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority and Bert Nash ...
Longer days and extra days are among the changes coming to the Lawrence school district calendar after nearly two weeks worth of classes were canceled this year for winter weather. On Monday, Lawrence school board members received another update on how nearly two weeks’ worth of winter weather cancellations have affected the district’s class time for the 2024-2025 school year. The designated make-up ...
A public commenter who has been frequently attending Lawrence school board meetings was escorted out of the meeting for refusing to obey board rules. Carrie Schmidt, who resides in Johnson County, has attended the last several Lawrence school board meetings protesting against the district’s public comment policy. She has also read obscenities and sexually explicit material to board members, saying the books ...
Lawrence school board members communicated support for families at Prairie Park Elementary, and a parent called for greater transparency and additional support after several students were allegedly sexually assaulted. On Monday, Lawrence school board members told the community that they will help support the families in the school district and at Prairie Park Elementary School after eight children, between the ...
The Lawrence school board on Monday approved Superintendent Jeanice Swift’s employment contract with an annual salary of $235,000. Swift was the interim superintendent prior to being offered the permanent role, and her contract will run from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2028. Her interim contract will be in place until July. According to the contract, Swift will be paid an annual salary of $235,000, ...
Lawrence school board members will hear another update on Monday about how nearly two weeks' worth of winter weather cancellations have affected the district's class time for the 2024-2025 school year. The school district has so far used nine inclement weather days — five in January and four in February — after three big winter storms hit Lawrence. Since the first storm in early January, the school ...