Lawrence schools plan family engagement center, update board on legislation

Lawrence Public Schools is turning its district offices at 110 McDonald Drive into a Family Engagement Center, a move Superintendent Jeanice Swift says is meant to function as a visible front door to the district and a place for access, connection and support for families, schools and the community. Staff told the Lawrence Board of Education on April 13 that the center is expected to start operating in the fall, ahead of the 2026-27 school year, and that the district is framing it around a dual-capacity approach that builds skills on both sides of the home-school relationship.

The district’s family-engagement model is based on the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships, a shift away from treating parents and caregivers as occasional visitors. Board materials said the goal is to strengthen authentic family engagement because it promotes student success. Staff said the center could offer classes, cultural affinity spaces and other supports designed to help families and educators work together more effectively. The broader effort is part of a set of district enhancements Swift says are intended to better align operations with the Kansas funding model.

Board members also pushed on the practical side of participation. Carole Cadue-Blackwood suggested child care during board meetings as one way to make it easier for families to show up, while Bob Byers said stronger relationships early on could prevent conflict later. The discussion pointed to a central question for Lawrence families: whether the new center will remove real barriers to access, or simply add another district program to an already crowded system.

A separate update from board member Shannon Kimball laid out the volume of education bills now coming out of Topeka. Kimball said lawmakers approved measures affecting special education funding, the Student Safe at School Act, fentanyl prevention education, recess and student walkouts. House Bill 2534 requires schools to provide fentanyl abuse education, keep a supply of naloxone in all schools and follow new rules for active-shooter drills and simulations. House Bill 2763 requires elementary students to receive at least 30 minutes of recess each day and limits withholding recess for discipline except in narrow cases.

Kimball also warned that the walkout-related policy could raise constitutional concerns if a school day no longer counted as instructional time when students protested during the day. Her comments came as Lawrence schools continue to press the state over special education aid. The Kansas State Department of Education says special education categorical aid is meant to cover 92% of excess costs, but lawmakers have not fully funded that target. That debate is now unfolding alongside the Kansas Education Funding Task Force, created in 2025 and due to deliver recommendations by Jan. 11, 2027, leaving Lawrence schools to balance family outreach, compliance and finance uncertainty at the same time.