Lawrence Free State High School

Lawrence Free State High School
Address
4700 Overland Drive[1]
Lawrence, Kansas 66049
United States
Coordinates 38°58′30″N 95°18′13″W / 38.975138°N 95.303650°W / 38.975138; -95.303650Coordinates: 38°58′30″N 95°18′13″W / 38.975138°N 95.303650°W / 38.975138; -95.303650
Information
School type Public, High School
Established 1997[2]
School board Board Website
School district USD 497[3]
Superintendent Anna Stubblfield[4]
CEEB code 171691[5]
Principal Myron Graber
Band Director Randall Fillmore
Grades 9 to 12[2]
Gender coed
Enrollment 1775[2] (2017)
Hours in school day 7
Campus type Urban
Color(s)      Hunter Green
     Silver[2]
Song We Hail Thee Lawrence Free State
Fight song Fight On, Firebirds!
Athletics KSHSAA Class 6A
Athletics conference Sunflower League
Mascot Firebird[2] Free State High School Firebird Logo.png
Rival Lawrence High School,
Average ACT scores 23.7
Newspaper The Free Press
Yearbook The Talon
Communities served Lawrence
Website School Website

Lawrence Free State High School (FSHS or LFS) is a public secondary school in Lawrence, Kansas, USA operated by Unified School District 497, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. It is one of two public high schools within the city limits of Lawrence. The current enrollment is approximately 1,825 students.[2] The school colors are hunter green and silver.[2] The current principal is Myron Graber.

Lawrence Free State is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A division and are known as the "Firebirds". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.

History

Lawrence Free State was established in 1997[2] in response to overcrowding at Lawrence High School, the only public high school in Lawrence at the time.

Academics

The College Board recognized Free State High with the 2007-08 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement participation and performance. One high school in each state receives this honor and a $1,000 grant for math and science education.[2]

Extracurricular activities

The Firebirds compete in the Sunflower League and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Lawrence Free State has won fifteen state championships in various sports. Additionally, a small number of graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.

From the school's inception in 1997 until 2008, football games were played at Haskell Memorial Stadium. Some games were also played at Memorial Stadium at the University of Kansas.[6] They are now, however, played in a home stadium built in 2009-2010, when a stadium was built for Lawrence High School as well.

The Free State Chamber Choir, Advanced Women's Choir (Aurora), and Concert Chorale have all received "I" Ratings at KSHSAA every year since its inception in 1997. Free State's Theatre Program is regionally recognized and has performed shows such as Fiddler on the Roof, The Pajama Game and Anything Goes.

Lunch period runs from around 11:30 AM to 12:58 PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. During Lunch period, students are allowed Free Lunch. This is a given privilege for students to exit the school building and order food at nearby restaurants, such as Zaxby's, SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza, Burger King, Arby's, and Starbucks (all of these chains are near the building). Students can do this, so long as the students make it back to school before lunch period ends. Failure to make it back in time can result in having the free lunch privilege revoked.

State Championships

State Championships[7]
SeasonSportNumber of ChampionshipsYear
FallGymnastics, Girls42009 (co-champions), 2011, 2013, 2014
Cross Country, Girls22013, 2016
WinterSwimming and Diving, Boys22004, 2018 (Evan Eskilson)
Debate12007
Scholar's Bowl12017
SpringBaseball22006, 2015
Track and Field, Girls22013, 2014
Swimming and Diving, Girls22009, 2015
Total15

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ GNIS for Lawrence Free State High School; USGS; November 3, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Lawrence Free State High School - About Us Archived 2009-12-20 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ USD 497
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ High School CEEB Code Search
  6. ↑ Smith, Benton (August 31, 2007). "Haskell Stadium a house of history". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  7. ↑ "State Records & State Champions". Archived from the original (English) on 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
  8. ↑ "Christian Ballard" (English). Retrieved 2012-06-15.
  9. ↑ "Free State Firebirds Cody Kukuk, Colin Toalson sign with KU baseball". LJWorld.com. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
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