photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Superintendent Jeanice Swift is pictured on Monday, March 9, 2026.

After eliminating or consolidating eight administrative positions in just over a year, the Lawrence school district plans to continue “streamlining” its staff in 2026, but few details have been shared about which positions might be affected or how many.

The district has been making cuts and changes to positions over the last year or so to free up resources to increase staff pay. In December, Superintendent Jeanice Swift said that over 14 months, eight positions had been eliminated, combined or not filled after being vacated, and at the school board’s meeting on March 9 she said the reductions would continue this year.

“(The district) will notify individuals impacted in a timely manner and work to model dignity in action as we continue to ensure that we direct resources to achieving our shared goal of competitive compensation,” Swift said.

Swift told the board that over the next few weeks, the district was planning to use staff retirements and departures to continue its “streamlining” process. She did not specify the number or types of positions that would be impacted, but did say that classrooms would not be affected.

“We will not directly impact classrooms or class sizes in this 2026 streamlining effort,” Swift told the board.

Over the past week, the Journal-World has contacted the district twice seeking clarification about the position changes for 2026, including about asking how many positions need to be eliminated or changed to meet the district’s wage targets for its staff. The district had not responded to those inquiries as of Monday afternoon.

In December, Swift did share the types of positions eliminated or consolidated in the last round of reductions. They were an executive director and an assistant director of teaching and learning; a virtual school registrar; two elementary learning coaches; a director of elementary curricula; a coordinator of student health services; and a coordinator of restorative justice services.

Swift has previously told the Journal-World that the position changes are intended to redirect as many resources as possible to classroom and school support and to make pay more competitive for staff. The changes began after the district gathered feedback from the public, including through a series of “community conversation” meetings, that showed a desire to increase teacher and staff salaries and reduce administrative overhead.

Swift told the school board on March 9 that the leaders of the Lawrence Education Association, the district’s teacher’s union and education support professionals have been included in discussions about the position changes.

“We understand that we will be required to continue the streamline work not only this year, but in future years so that students continue to be well-served and all are lifted by our commitment to function as a high-performing organization,” Swift told the board.