WICHITA — Jennifer Mathes kept her expectations for the spring low. A sudden, pandemic-driven shift from classrooms to online instruction was bound to throw the Blue Valley school district a curve. That would be a loss for the quality of teaching she could expect for her daughter. But for ...
The Lawrence school board will soon hear an initial report from a task force that is exploring issues related to reopening schools this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the board will receive an update from district leaders on the work that the task force, called “Together ...
A third Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence location has closed because of a staff member contracting the coronavirus. The club announced in a news release on Friday that it closed its summer site at Pinckney Elementary School, 810 W. Sixth St., because of a staff member testing positive for the ...
Although Lawrence students have not been in their classrooms for months, the school district is still working on upgrading school buildings with construction projects this summer. Tony Barron, the district's executive director for facilities and operations, recently told the Journal-World that ...
Douglas County residents who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic will have the opportunity to learn skills for a new profession at no cost. Kevin Kelley, CEO of the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, said on Thursday the tech center launched a new program for county ...
Story updated at 1:28 p.m. Monday: Two Boys & Girls Club locations and a Lawrence school district summer meal pickup site have closed because club staff members have contracted COVID-19. Alissa Bauer, a spokesperson for the club, said in an email to the Journal-World that the club ...
A union for paraeducators in the Lawrence school district would not only allow paras to negotiate for better pay, but would also be in the best interest of students, union advocates say. Leaders of the para organization that is seeking union recognition recently told the Journal-World that the ...
The speech and debate team for Free State High School was recognized last week as one of the best high school debate programs in the country. As part of the National Speech and Debate Association’s national tournament, which was conducted virtually from June 14 through June 20, the Free ...
Three Lawrence residents have been selected to serve on a state commission focused on issues of racial equity in justice. Gov. Laura Kelly announced in a news release on Wednesday that she signed an executive order to create the commission, which will first work on community relations of ...
A group of about 50 protesters gathered outside the Lawrence school district’s administrative offices on Monday to demand action related to the Black Lives Matter movement and a recent paraeducator unionization effort. Prior to the Lawrence school board meeting, members of the protesting ...
Despite Lawrence’s abolitionist past, a local elementary school happens to bear the name of an early U.S. political leader who was not only a slave owner but an advocate for keeping the slave trade legal in the United States. While Pinckney Elementary School was not formally named in honor ...
Pay raises could soon be approved for many employees of the Lawrence school district. During its meeting Monday, the Lawrence school board will consider 2020-2021 school year compensation packages for teachers and staff. If the packages are approved, the district’s teachers, administrators ...
A short documentary film by Lawrence High School students focusing on the life and resilience of dancer Alvin Ailey reached the national stage this week. Liliana Christensen and Zora Lotton-Barker, who will be seniors at LHS this coming fall, told the Journal-World Thursday they were excited ...
Despite calls across the country for changes in how law enforcement agencies operate, the Lawrence school district plans to continue using officers from the Lawrence Police Department in its schools. But school board leaders are asking whether there needs to be more oversight of the school ...
Lawrence students will soon participate in the national speech and debate tournament from the comfort of their homes. Members of the debate teams for both Free State and Lawrence high schools will virtually compete in the National Speech and Debate Association’s tournament next week. Kelly ...
A group of paraeducators in the Lawrence school district is seeking to unionize, and on Monday night it asked the school board for recognition. Members of the Paraeducators Association of Lawrence organizing committee made their request during the public comment portion of the school board's ...
The Boys and Girls Club of Langston Hughes closed on Saturday after leadership learned that a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The club will remain closed until further notice. There is a possibility that the affected staff member exposed other staff and members of the Langston ...
The Lawrence school board will soon hear a report on how the school district is helping students with their behavioral health needs, including mental health. During the board’s meeting on Monday, Kevin Harrell, executive director for student services, and Jose Cornejo, mental health ...
Now that the K-12 academic year has ended, students in Douglas County will soon receive their final grades, if they haven't already. But this year, students faced a new challenge as their final quarter was disrupted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As learning methods changed, school ...
Negotiations between the Lawrence school district and its teachers wrapped earlier than usual this year, as the two sides came to a tentative agreement this week for the upcoming school year. Representatives for the school district and the Lawrence Education Association, the local teachers ...