WRITER: Josie Heimsoth

Kansas statewide open enrollment now in effect as Douglas County schools maintain tradition of accepting out-of-district students

Douglas County schools have always welcomed students from other districts, and Kansas recently mandated open enrollment statewide to allow families to move their children from schools that aren't meeting their needs. Despite this, public school enrollment is still on the decline. The new, controversial statewide open enrollment law – or the Kansas school district choice law – was passed in 2022, and it ...

Lawrence school board on Monday to hear budget proposal that keeps property tax rate nearly level

The Lawrence school board will review its maximum budget authority and property tax rates on Monday. The board is considering a plan to keep the property tax rate largely unchanged for 2025, with the proposed budget set at $215,698,464. The proposed mill levy – one mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value – is 52.252 mills. This is an increase of 0.042 mills from last year's rate. ...

Family's new 'forever home' in Eudora is the first zero-net energy house from Lawrence Habitat for Humanity and Atmos Energy

When Kathryn Gilmore received the news from Lawrence Habitat for Humanity that she would be getting a home, it was far from a blur. Amid tears of joy and sharing the news with friends and family, she felt, most of all, a tremendous weight lifted off her shoulders. “Like, we’re going to have a home,” Gilmore said. “When I got the final approval saying that you’re going to be getting one of these ...

After hearing more about K-State Research and Extension funding, county leaders are still asking what their role is

After hearing more about K-State Research and Extension's services and how they're funded, Douglas County commissioners still have questions about what role they should play — especially when it comes to funding the extension's cost-of-living increases. The commission held a work session on Wednesday to better understand the county’s relationship with the Extension Council before finalizing the 2025 county ...

Commissioners to hear more about K-State Research and Extension's services, funding, relationship with Douglas County

After raising some questions about K-State Research and Extension's relationship with Douglas County in their 2025 budget deliberations, county commissioners could get some answers at a work session on Wednesday. The county will hear a presentation about the extension council, including its history, funding sources and existing county support, as well as an overview of the services it provides. The extension's ...

Primary election didn't count 201 ballots that arrived late due to postal delays; total count reaches 14,903

After having problems with the post office delivering ballots on time, the Douglas County Election Office was unable to count 201 ballots for the Aug. 6 primary election. But this isn’t a county issue; it’s happening statewide. The Douglas County office held a primary canvass Monday, when county officials reviewed election results and discussed voter turnout. According to the advance ballot report, many ...