Lawrence schools cite staffing, absenteeism and early education gaps

Families in Lawrence Public Schools are feeling the strain most in the places that matter day to day: classrooms with too few adults, students missing too much school, and young children entering kindergarten without the early support they need. District leaders said those are the biggest barriers to student success, and they are shaping the priorities that will feed into the next budget and school-improvement cycle.

The Lawrence Board of Education received a summary of the district’s annual needs assessment on Monday. Kansas law requires every district to review the educational needs of each attendance center, publish the assessment on its website and use it when approving the budget to improve student academic performance. Lawrence Public Schools said the process also tracks progress toward the Kansas State Board of Education’s Rose Capacities framework.

This year’s assessment drew 20 responses from leadership teams representing 18 buildings, offering a snapshot from across a district that Facilities and Operations says includes 22 academic and support locations. The concerns were not the same at every level, but staffing shortages came up again and again. At the elementary level, leaders pointed to class sizes and chronic absenteeism. In middle school, the transition from fifth grade to sixth grade stood out as a vulnerable point, along with staffing shortages. High schools flagged student motivation to complete state assessments and the need for compensation that can help recruit and keep employees.

Early childhood education emerged as a separate pressure point. Leaders said some students are not making enough progress in social and emotional development before kindergarten, while access to affordable preschool remains uneven. That issue lands close to home in a district that offers preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds to support early learning and kindergarten readiness.

Statewide numbers show why attendance remains a central concern. Kansas reported chronic absenteeism at 19.8% in 2024, down from 21.8% in 2023 and 24.5% in 2022. The state defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of enrolled school days.

District leaders recommended better staffing and pay, expanded mental health and support services, smaller class sizes and a more coherent curriculum across schools. James Polk said some goals could move faster than others, with smaller class sizes possible in one to two years and stronger early-childhood access likely taking five to 10 years. The board is expected to draft a formal response at a future meeting, a step that could shape decisions before next school year.

The review came as Lawrence continues to reshape staffing elsewhere. In March 2026, district leaders said they had eliminated or consolidated eight administrative positions in a little over a year to free up money for higher staff pay. In July 2025, the board approved a certified staff agreement that increased the certified salary pool by 3.162%, or $1,613,951, including an $800 increase to the base salary schedule. Lawrence Public Schools is now in Year Five of its KESA cycle, linking the needs assessment directly to the district’s next round of instructional and budget planning.