Lawrence schools tentatively approve pay raises, stronger worker protections

Lawrence Public Schools workers who keep schools running day to day could be in line for some of the biggest pay gains in years, with a tentative agreement raising certified staff pay to a $51,000 base and setting a $20 hourly floor for education support professionals.

The deal was still awaiting ratification by Lawrence Education Association members and the Lawrence Public Schools school board, but it marked a sharp shift in how the district was trying to compete for and keep employees. Under the certified-staff side of the package, teachers would get at least a $3,000 increase at every step on the salary schedule, while core health benefits would remain in place. The agreement also would expand stipend-eligible extracurricular work to include Flag Football, middle school cross country and e-sports.

For support staff, the wage change was even more dramatic. The base hourly rate would jump from $15.46 to $20, a nearly 30% increase, with additional raises tied to job classification and experience. The agreement also would create a joint LEA-district committee to redesign the pay scale around education, experience, longevity and professional development, which could have the biggest impact on lower-paid classified positions across Lawrence schools.

The tentative package went beyond pay. It strengthened language on immediate responses to safety concerns, reimbursement for damaged personal medical devices and workers’ compensation protections so employees injured on the job would not have to burn personal leave or absorb income losses that workers’ comp does not cover. It also created a Special Education subcommittee that would meet monthly, adding a regular forum for workload, staffing and support issues tied to special education services.

The bargaining outcome followed months of pressure from educators, especially support professionals. In September 2025, more than 140 people gathered outside district offices to push for better pay, after the district’s first offer was a 54-cent hourly increase and the LEA sought a $3.10 raise. A tentative ESP deal later that month set the starting wage at $15.46 and increased the salary pool by 5.97%, or about $1,132,000.

The new agreement also fit into a broader budget reset. In March, Superintendent Jeanice Swift said the district had eliminated, consolidated or left unfilled eight administrative positions over about 14 months to free resources for competitive compensation, while saying classrooms would not be directly affected. A July 2025 teachers’ agreement had already raised the certified-staff salary pool by 3.162%, or about $1.6 million, and expanded plan time for elementary and high school teachers.

If approved, the latest contract would continue that push: more money in paychecks, clearer workplace protections and a stronger bid to hold onto the people families rely on every school day.