photo by: Journal-World File

Lawrence Municipal Court's “School Supplies for Fines” program allows participants to bring in $15 worth of approved school supplies to get a $50 credit toward traffic or parking tickets.

Lawrence residents with various parking and traffic tickets can once again have their fines reduced if they donate new school supplies to area children.

In a press release Wednesday, Lawrence Municipal Court announced that its “School Supplies for Fines” program has opened and will run through Aug. 23. The program, which is in its third year, allows participants who have outstanding fines to bring $15 worth of approved school supplies to the municipal court — along with the receipt — and get $50 credit toward fines for traffic infractions or parking tickets. The donated supplies will go to the Lawrence Schools Foundation.

The approved supply list is as follows:

• Pencil box

• Washable markers (thick; classic 8-pack)

• 24-pack Crayola crayons

• #2 pencils

• Colored pencils

• Highlighters

• Scissors

• Spiral notebooks (wide or college rule)

• Shaving cream foam (unscented)

• Cotton balls

• Play-Doh (regular-sized containers)

• Ziploc bags (gallon and quart size)

• Fragrance-free baby wipes

• Kleenex

• Refillable water bottles

• Plain white unwaxed paper plates (salad or dinner size)

• Backpacks

The donations will only apply to existing court fines, not potential future fines. Individuals can also choose to donate toward fines on another person’s account. Downtown parking meter citations that were issued after Jan. 1, 2025 are excluded from this program.

You can contact the Municipal Court at 785-832-6190 for more information or questions about the program.