• Grievance Policy relating to Section 504
• Grievance Policy relating to Section 508

The Lawrence Public Schools recognizes that regular attendance in class, participation in class activities and interaction between student and teacher are an essential and integral part of the learning process. Classroom participation is vital to the instructional process and must be considered in evaluating the performance and content mastery of students.

• View PK - 8 Attendance Policy English
• View PK - 8 Attendance Policy Spanish
• View PK - 8 Attendance Policy Bilingual

• View High School Attendance Policy English
• View High School Attendance Policy Spanish
• View High School Attendance Policy Bilingual

We know that attendance in school is part of the student success equation and, to the extent possible, it is incumbent on the school community to support consistent attendance, thus making accurate and timely attendance recording all the more essential. 

• View Attendance Record Keeping PK-8 Policy English
• View Attendance Record Keeping PK-8 Policy Spanish

The Lawrence Public Schools’ Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan was developed in consultation with teachers, administrators, school nurses, counselors, parents, police department representatives, students, and community representatives. The district is committed to providing all students with a safe learning environment that is free from bullying and cyberbullying. This commitment is an integral part of our comprehensive efforts to promote learning, and to prevent and eliminate all forms of bullying and other harmful and disruptive behavior that can impede the learning process. This Plan is the district’s blueprint for enhancing capacity to prevent and respond to issues of bullying within the context of other healthy school initiatives. As part of the process, the planning group assessed the adequacy of current programs, reviewed current policies and procedures, reviewed data on bullying and behavioral incidents and assessed available resources including curricula, training programs, and behavioral health services. These activities assisted the planning group in identifying resources, gaps in services, and areas of need in order to assist the district in revising and developing procedures and setting priorities to address bullying prevention and intervention. Prevention strategies include professional development, age-appropriate curricula and in-school support services.

• View Bully Prevention and Intervention Plan English
• View Bully Prevention and Intervention Plan Spanish
• Bully Prevention and Intervention Plan

A safe learning environment is one in which every student develops emotionally, academically, and physically in a caring and supportive atmosphere free of intimidation and abuse. Bullying of any type has no place in a school setting; therefore, the Lawrence Public Schools will work to ensure a learning and working environment free of bullying for all students, staff, and families. The Lawrence School Committee and the Lawrence Public Schools shall not tolerate bullying in any form by students, staff members, family members, or community members in any of its facilities or at any school-related or sponsored events.

• Appendix A: LPS Policy on Bullying in Schools English
• Appendix A: LPS Policy on Bullying in Schools Spanish
• Appendix B: List of Prevention Curricula English
• Appendix B: List of Prevention Curricula Spanish
• Appendix C: Designated Contacts for Reporting Incidents of Bullying English
• Appendix C: Designated Contacts for Reporting Incidents of Bullying Spanish
• Appendix D: Bullying Incident Report Form English
• Appendix D: Bullying Incident Report Form Spanish
• Appendix E: Bullying Incident Administrative Form English
• Appendix E: Bullying Incident Administrative Form Spanish

The Lawrence Public School district is committed to providing a drug and alcohol free learning environment and workplace. Drug and/or alcohol use at school or in connection with school sponsored activities on or off school grounds threaten the health and safety of our students and our employees and adversely affect the educational mission of the school district. The use of illicit drugs and the unlawful possession and use of alcohol are harmful to an individual’s health and well-being in addition to being illegal.

• View Drug-Free Schools Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure the educational stability of students in foster care.  Educational stability has a lasting impact on student's academic achievement and wellbeing, and, as such, the District is committed to ensuring that students in foster care have equal access to high-quality, stable educational experiences from preschool through high school graduation.

• View Educational Opportunities for Children in Foster Care Policy

To facilitate the placement, enrollment, graduation, data collection, and provision of services for students transferring into or out of the District because of their parents or guardians being on active duty in the U.S. Armed Services, the District supports and will implement its responsibilities as outlined in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.  As such the district strives to remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families resulting from frequent moves required by parents' or guardians' military deployment.

• View Educational Opportunities for Military Children Policy

It remains the philosophy of the Lawrence Public Schools to educate its children to realize their total physical, social, emotional, and intellectual potential -- to make them responsible contributing citizens, adaptive to their environment and capable of changing it where change would benefit themselves and their community.

• View Educational Philosophy Policy

The Superintendent shall have the authority to close the schools or dismiss them early when severe weather or other emergencies threaten the safety of the children and staff members. In making this decision, he/she will check with the Director of Facilities and Plant Management, Transportation Manager, and other knowledgeable authorities.

• View Emergency Closings Policy

Lawrence Public Schools, in keeping with Massachusetts State Board of Education regulations on permissible school entrance age, establishes the age at which children shall be allowed to enter school. The State Board requires that children be permitted to enter kindergarten in September of the calendar year in which they turn five years of age. Accordingly, initial admission to pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and grade 1 shall be based solely on chronological age. Admission to grades other than these shall be based on chronological age, transcript, academic readiness, or other relevant factors, as laid out in the linked policy, and as shall be deemed appropriate by the school administration.

• Entrance Age and Grade Change Policy English
• Entrance Age and Grade Change Policy Spanish
• Entrance Age and Grade Change Policy Bilingual
• Grade Change Recommendation Form English
• Grade Change Recommendation Form Spanish

The right of a student to participate fully in classroom instruction and extracurricular activities shall not be abridged or impaired because of age, gender, gender identity, genetic information, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, parenthood, marriage, handicap, housing status or sexual orientation or for any other reason not related to the student's individual capabilities.

• View Equal Educational Opportunities Policy

Lawrence Public Schools (LPS) believes its buildings and facilities are community assets, and as such their availability and use beyond their primary educational purpose is to be encouraged. To ensure maximum community benefit and the safe and responsible use of buildings while continuing to prioritize the needs of Lawrence’s K-12 students, this policy shall apply to all LPS facility use by non-school parties.

1. LPS Non-Facility Use Policy
2. LPS Non-Facility Terms and Conditions & Rental Application (includes the rental application, rental rates and fees)

The Lawrence Public Schools believes that family and student engagement is an integral part of the student success equation. Families, students and schools need to be in partnership to maximize opportunities for students to achieve their full potential. To that end, this policy fosters proactive communication, student voice, education and support for the roles families can play that best support their students’ learning, as well as collaboration and shared decision making among all stakeholders. It also provides guidance on capacity building in schools and with families in order to realize high quality engagement.

• Family and Student Engagement Policy English
• Family and Student Engagement Policy Spanish

Lawrence Public Schools is committed to ensuring the health and safety all students. The following concussion policy utilizes the latest in medical research to prevent and treat head injuries. It is in compliance with M.G.L. c. 111, § 222: Head Injuries and Concussions in Extracurricular Athletic Activities, enacted in June 2011.

• View Head Injuries and Concussions Policy

The Lawrence Public Schools recognize the right of parents to educate their children outside of a school setting as provided by General Laws Chapter 76, Section 1. The law requires, however, that a child being educated outside of school must also be instructed in a manner approved, in advance, by the superintendent or his/her designee. The Lawrence Public School district does not approve home education programs for anything less than a full-time instructional program.

Parents/guardians must obtain approval annually from the superintendent of schools or his/her designee prior to beginning a home education program. Please send completed applications via email or mail to the contact information below.

• View Home School Notice Policy English
• View Home School Notice Policy Spanish
• Notice of Intent to Pursue a Program of Home Education Form English
• Notice of Intent to Pursue a Program of Home Education Form Spanish

The district will work with homeless children and youth and unaccompanied youth  (collectively, “homeless students”) as well as their families or legal guardians to provide stability in school attendance and other services. Special attention will be given to ensuring the enrollment and attendance of homeless students not currently attending school. Homeless students will be provided district services for which they are eligible, including preschool programs, Title I and similar state programs, special education, bilingual education, vocational and technical education programs, gifted and talented programs, school nutrition programs, summer programming, and extracurricular activities.

• View Homeless students' enrollment rights and services policy

To address growing concerns over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, and to reinforce the school district’s commitment to equal access to public education for all students, the following policy has been created.

• View Immigration and Customs Enforcement Requests Policy English
• View Immigration and Customs Enforcement Requests Policy Spanish

While the LPS understands that educational uses of the laptops exist outside of school, the laptops are intended for daily in-school, classroom use to support teaching, and learning. Therefore, LPS expects that the laptop will be in-school on a daily basis. The employee agrees to connect the laptop to the LPS network on a regular basis to receive software updates which are deployed weekly via the LPS network.

Laptop is the property of the LPS and is for teaching & learning use by the employee. Placing stickers, writing on, engraving or otherwise defacing/marking the laptop or case are prohibited. The assigned employee assumes the responsibility for the actions of others while using the laptop.

• View Laptop Use Policy English
• View Laptop Use Policy Form English
• View Information About Your New Laptop English

We would like to take a moment to inform you of the policies of the Lawrence Public School District pertaining to medications at school. It is the policy of Lawrence Public Schools to administer medication during school house only when the prescribed schedule cannot be met outside of school hours or there is an issue with a student obtaining their medication in the morning prior to school. Lawrence Public Schools requires the following forms to be on file in your child’s health record before we begin to give any medication at school.

• View Bilingual Medication Policy

The Lawrence School Committee is committed to a policy of non-discrimination in relation to race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation. This policy shall prevail in all of its policies concerning staff, students, educational programs and agencies, and with individuals with whom the School Committee does business.

• View Non-Discrimination Policy

The Lawrence Public Schools is committed to the use of de-escalation techniques as a means of resolving difficult situations; however, there are situations where these techniques may not be effective in resolving the situation and there will be a need for further intervention, such as physical escort or physical restraint.

• View Physical Restraint Policy English
• View Physical Restraint Policy Spanish

The Lawrence Public Schools shall maintain a safe and nurturing educational environment where students and others can meet and recreate without fear. The Lawrence Public Schools will not tolerate violence or injury to staff or students, nor will weapons (as defined in Weapons in Schools Policy) be tolerated at any school activity or on any school district property. The Lawrence Public Schools Committee policies pertaining to school safety and student discipline shall be fairly and firmly enforced, criminal misconduct shall be reported to the proper law enforcement authority, and school district staff shall cooperate with any subsequent criminal prosecution. The provisions of M.G.L. 71:37H & 71:37L, prohibiting firearms on school property shall be strictly enforced.

• View Safe Schools Policy

All school-age children legally residing in the City of Lawrence, shall be entitled to attend Lawrence public schools free of tuition, as will certain children who do not reside in the City of Lawrence, but who are admitted under specific district policies relating to homeless students, students in foster care, or other students who may qualify under active district policies. This policy outlines requirements and rights.

• View School admissions policy

School assignment within Lawrence Public Schools, preschool through grade 8, are made based on neighborhood residence, using an index of street addresses and associating them to a proximity school. While the goal is to have students attend the schools closest to their homes, in some cases adjustments are made to respond to school or program capacity.

• View School Assignment Policy Bilingual

View Street Address Index

• LPS Street Directory

View Feeder School List

• Frost Elementary and Frost Middle
• Guilmette Elementary and Guilmette Middle
• Parthum Elementary and Parthum Middle
• South Lawrence East Elementary and Spark Academy

The district’s governing body believes that the school is the key unit for educational improvement and change and that successful school improvement is best accomplished through a school-based decision-making process. By involving those directly affected by any action or decision of the School Leadership Team in the process of determining that action or decision, it helps to strengthen the commitment of those decisions by those most affected by its implementation.

• View School Leadership Team Policy English
• View School Leadership Team Policy Spanish

In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. The law (29 U.S.C § 794 (d)) applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others. 

The U.S. Access Board is responsible for developing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility standards to incorporate into regulations that govern Federal procurement practices. On January 18, 2017, the Access Board issued a final rule that updated accessibility requirements covered by Section 508, and refreshed guidelines for telecommunications equipment subject to Section 255 of the Communications Act. The final rule went into effect on January 18, 2018.

The rule updated and reorganized the Section 508 Standards and Section 255 Guidelines in response to market trends and innovations in technology. The refresh also harmonized these requirements with other guidelines and standards both in the U.S. and abroad, including standards issued by the European Commission, and with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0), a globally recognized voluntary consensus standard for web content and ICT.

• Accessibility 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines

Lawrence Public Schools (LPS) values, school, classroom, parent, student and community voice and engagement. To that end, LPS supports, as one of many tools for communication, the responsible use of social media. District employees who engage in work-related or personal use of social media are responsible to read, understand and adhere to this policy.

For the purposes of this policy, social media shall be defined as any online-based tools and applications used to share and distribute information, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.™

This policy provides guidance for professional and personal use, including training and community participant guidelines. Additionally, LPS staff and student Code of Conduct, Non-Discrimination, and Acceptable Use policies apply to all social media activity, as do student and staff confidentiality laws and guidelines.

• Social Media Use Policy English
• Social Media User Policy Spanish

The Student Involvement in Decision Making Policy promotes student voice and leadership by providing guidance to both schools and students on governing opportunities at the school and district level, while effectively ensuring inclusion of the district's high school students on district level governing bodies.

• View Student Involvement in Decision Making Policy English
• View Student Involvement in Decision Making Policy Spanish

According to the General Laws of Massachusetts and Department of Education regulations, each school and school district is required to adopt a set of rules that ensures a safe school climate for effective learning. This handbook not only meets this requirement but also highlights our commitment to providing all students with a welcoming and supportive learning community, where our youth are encouraged and supported to develop their full potential – academically, socially and emotionally.

• Students' Rights and Code of Conduct Handbook SY24-25 English
• Students' Rights and Code of Conduct Handbook SY24-25 Spanish

It is the policy of the Lawrence Public School (the "District") to maintain an environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and harassment, including all forms of sex-based harassment. The District does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any of its educational programs or activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its regulations requires The District to not discriminate in such a manner. This requirement not to discriminate extends to admission and employment. Inquiries regarding Title IX and its regulations should be addressed to the District's Title IX Coordinator:

Lizbeth Gonzalez, Executive Director of Human Capital
237 Essex Street, Lawrence, MA. 01840
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
978-975-5905, ext. 25630
 
Inquiries may also be made externally to:
Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Boston Office
U.S. Department of Education
5 Post Office Square, 8th floor
Boston, MA 02109-3921
Telephone: (617)289-0111
Facsimile: (617) 289-0150
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: http://www.ed.gov/ocr

• ACA Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy English
• ACA Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy Spanish
• ACA-R Title IX Grievance Procedure English
• ACA-R Title IX Grievance Procedure Spanish

The Lawrence School Committee endorses the philosophy that every student, staff person and visitor to a School Department facility ought to have the right to breath clean air. Scientists have now identified passive smoking, the smoke that nonsmokers involuntarily inhale, as a contributing factor in the leading causes of avoidable fatal illness, such as heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and chronic pulmonary disease. Passive smoking kills more people per year than all other carcinogens currently regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency combined. 

• View Tobacco-Free Schools Policy

The major purpose of school transportation is to get students who live an unreasonable walking distance from home to school and back in an efficient, safe, and economical manner. Other purposes include the provision of transportation for academic field trips in direct support of the curriculum, and transportation for the support of the co-curricular program (e.g., athletics, music, drama, and the like.) 

• View Transportation Policy

• View Uniform Policy for Grades K-8
• View Uniform Policy for High School SY23-24

The school assignment policy for Lawrence Public Schools is based on neighborhood schools, assigning students to the schools closest to their homes, with minimal exceptions for substantially separate specialized learning programs, or when a school reaches maximum capacity for any grade.  While our district schools deliver instructional services to meet the diverse needs of students in our neighborhoods, this policy provides an orderly and thoughtful process for variances to the assignment policy to address transition grade, sibling, or proximity from home issues.

Variance applications will be accepted from May 1 through June 14, for the following school year and can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Late applications will not be considered.

• PK-K Enrollment and Variance Process for SY24-25 Letter to Parents Bilingual
• View Variance Policy English
• View Variance Policy Spanish
• Variance Form Bilingual

• Arlington Complex
• Breen
• Bruce
• Frost Complex
• Guilmette Complex
• Hennessey
• High School Learning Center
• Lawlor
• Lawrence Family Public Academy
• Lawrence High School Campus
  • ALA
  • UNIDOS
• Leahy
• Leonard
• Oliver Elementary
• Oliver Middle
• Parthum Complex
• RISE
• Rollins
• School for Exceptional Studies Annex
• School for Exceptional Studies NCEC
• South Lawrence East Elementary
• Spark
• Tarbox
• Wetherbee
   

In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. The law (29 U.S.C § 794 (d)) applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others. The following grievance process is intended to provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints regarding the website involving discrimination or access on the basis of disability.

• Web Accessibility Policy
• Accessibility Grievance Policies

This privacy policy applies only to the use of this website. As you navigate this website, you may see links that, when clicked, will take you to other websites operated by other state agencies and, in certain rare instances, websites that are external to Lawrence Public Schools. These other websites have individual privacy policies tailored to the interactions available through those sites. We strongly suggest that you read the privacy policies for each website that you visit through any link appearing on this site.

At this website, we do our best to protect your privacy to the maximum extent possible. However, because some of the information that we receive through this website is subject to the Public Records Law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 66, Section 10, we cannot ensure absolute privacy. Information that you provide to us through this site may be made available to members of the public under that law. This policy informs you of the information that we collect from you at this site and what we do with it. Based on this information, you can make an informed choice about your use of this site.

• Website Privacy Policy

The Lawrence School Committee supports lifelong healthy eating habits and positive physical activity for all students and staff in the Lawrence Public Schools.  The School Committee is committed to addressing the increasing rates of diet-related health consequences among these groups ensuring that the Lawrence Public Schools takes a comprehensive approach to reviewing and incorporating changes in policy, curriculum and operating procedures to promote healthy lifestyles and appropriate nutritional practices for all students. In doing so, the Lawrence Public Schools recognizes the important relationship between wellness and academic success. Using Section 204 of Public Law 111-296: Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act and the recommendations of the Massachusetts Department of Education, the following approach will guide our efforts.

• View Wellness Policy English
• View Wellness Policy Spanish
• Celebration Ideas Bilingual

Due to the increasing demands for wireless access to LPS network, this policy acts as an addendum to the General Acceptable Use Policy by including specific information regarding the use of wireless networking and Internet access. Please note that many items listed here may already be in the General Acceptable Use Policy for the redundant purposes. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to let us know. This policy is designed to protect wireless users and to prevent inappropriate use of wireless network access that may expose LPS to multiple risks including viruses, network attacks and various administrative and legal issues.

• View Wireless Access Policy

It is the intention of the IS&T Department of Lawrence Public Schools to provide a high level of reliability and security when using the wireless network. Wireless Access Points provide shared bandwidth and so as the number of users increases the available bandwidth per user decreases. As such, please show consideration for other users and refrain from running high bandwidth applications and operations such as downloading large music files and video from the Internet. Network reliability is determined by the level of user traffic and accessibility. Wireless networking is to be considered supplemental access to the LPS network. Wired access is still the preferred way for connectivity. 

• Wireless Usage