Unified School District 497

Unified School District 497, doing business as Lawrence Public Schools, is a U.S. local government school district based in Lawrence, Kansas that operates as a federal grant recipient — not as a federal contractor — receiving and administering federal funds for K–12 education, special education, career and technical education, early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and child nutrition programs. The district acts as a prime recipient on Indian Education Formula Grants from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and as a sub-recipient on 118 federal grant sub-awards flowing from state grantor agencies.

Lawrence Public Schools' federal footprint is dominated by child nutrition and education funding flowing through state intermediaries. The Kansas State Department of Education serves as the prime grantee on the vast majority of the district's sub-awards, channeling Title I, Title II-A, Title III, Title IVA, NSLP (National School Lunch Program) Child Lunch Initiative, block grants, special education funding, and early childhood pass-through funding. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment routes IDEA Part C early intervention services contracts; the Kansas Board of Regents administers Perkins Secondary and adult education and literacy programs; and the Kansas Department of Agriculture manages child nutrition value-added initiatives. Across the top five grantor agencies, 96% of the district's 139 awards cluster: the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service accounts for 78 awards, the Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education for 34, the Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services for 12, the Department of Education Office of Career Technical and Adult Education for 7, and the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service for 2. The district has obligated $45.8 million in combined federal dollars over the tracked award history, with activity accelerating sharply from five awards in 2023 to 39 in 2024 and 37 in 2025–2026 year-to-date.

As a sub-recipient (85% of awards), Lawrence Public Schools operates downstream of state education agencies and passes federal funds directly to student support services and instruction. Prime grant awards (15% of total) center on the recurring Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, awarded July 1 annually, with grants in fiscal years 2022 through 2027 and ultimate completion dates one fiscal year forward. The district received an award dated July 1, 2026, completing June 30, 2027, and sub-awards span Title I low-income grants, Title II-A teacher quality improvement, Title III English learner support, Title IVA safe and drug-free schools, IDEA Part B special education funding, Perkins career-technical education, adult education and literacy services, NSLP child nutrition initiatives, and IDEA Part C early intervention contracting with local lead/fiscal agencies serving infants and toddlers with disabilities. One award completes within the next twenty-four months, carrying no recompete intensity over that window.