Lawrence Free State High School

Last updated

Lawrence Free State High School
Location
Lawrence Free State High School
4700 Overland Drive [1]

Lawrence
,
Kansas
66049

United States
Coordinates 38°58′30″N95°18′13″W / 38.975138°N 95.303650°W / 38.975138; -95.303650
Information
School type Public, high school
Established1997 [2]
School district Lawrence USD 497
CEEB code 171691 [3]
Principal Amy McAnarney
Teaching staff82.69 (FTE) [4]
Grades 9 to 12 [2]
Gender coed
Enrollment1,768 (2023–2024) [4]
Student to teacher ratio21.38 [4]
Schedule8:00am-3:25pm
Hours in school day7
Campus type Urban
Color(s)  Hunter green
  Silver
SloganRespect, Responsibility, and Excellence
Song"We Hail Thee Lawrence Free State" [5]
Fight song "Fight On, Firebirds!" [6]
Athletics KSHSAA Class 6A
Athletics conferenceSunflower League
MascotFreddy the Firebird [2]
Team nameFirebirds
Rival Lawrence High School
NewspaperThe Free Press
YearbookThe Talon
Communities served Lawrence
Website Website

Lawrence Free State High School (FSHS or LFS) is a public secondary school in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. It is operated by Lawrence USD 497 school district, and serves students in grades 9 to 12. It is one of two public high schools within the city limits of Lawrence. The current[ when? ] enrollment is 1,820 students. [2] The school colors are hunter green, garnet red, and silver. [2] The current principal is Amy McAnarney.

Contents

Lawrence Free State is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) 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. Free State's fine arts department received the 2019-2020 KSHSAA Performing Arts School of Excellence award.

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. Almost one-third of students at Lawrence High transferred to Free State at the start of the 1997 school year.

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. Some graduates have gone on to participate at the collegiate and professional levels.

Athletic programs

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. [7] Games are now played in a home stadium built in 2009–2010, when a stadium was built for Lawrence High School as well.

Fall sports

Boys' cross country, girls' cross country, gymnastics, boys' soccer, girls' tennis, football, girls' golf, volleyball, competitive cheer, dance, and girls' flag football

Winter sports

Boys' basketball, girls' basketball, boys' bowling, girls' bowling, boys' swim and dive, boys' wrestling, cheer, dance, and girls' wrestling

Spring sports

Baseball, softball, boys' golf, girls' soccer, boys' tennis, girls' swim and dive, boys' track and field, and girls' track and field

Non-athletic programs

Free State's music program is recognized as a top program throughout the state of Kansas. The Free State chamber choir, advanced treble choir (Aurora), and concert chorale have all received "I" Ratings at KSHSAA every year since their 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 . The theatre program performed at the Kansas Thespian Festival in Wichita in 2019 and was named a Gold Honor Troupe there.

The Free State marching band were grand champions at the Missouri Western State University Tournament of Champions in 2000, 2001, and 2002, in addition to being finalists at the University of Central Missouri Festival of Champions in 2006 and 2007, and the Kansas Bandmasters Marching Championships in 2015. The Free State orchestra traveled to Los Angeles in early 2019. In the fall of 2019, Free State won the KSHSAA Performing Arts School of Excellence Award for success in Choir, Band, Orchestra, Theater, Debate, and Forensics.

In 2017, Free State's Scholars Bowl team placed first in the 6A division state championship tournament. [8] In 2022, debate became the first extracurricular activity at Free State to win a National Championship by winning the 2022 Tournament of Champions. [9]

State championships

State championships [10]
SeasonSportNumber of championshipsYear
Fall Gymnastics, girls' 52009 (co-champions), 2011, 2013, 2014, 2020
Cross country, girls' 22013, 2016
Cross country, boys' 12020
Winter Swimming and diving, boys' 12004
Debate 22007 (four-speaker), 2019 (two-speaker), 2025 (four-speaker)
Scholars' bowl 12017
Spring Speech 42019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Baseball 22006, 2015
Softball 22018, 2019
Track and field, girls' 22013, 2014
Swimming and diving, girls' 32009, 2015, 2023
Total24

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ GNIS for Lawrence Free State High School; USGS; November 3, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lawrence Free State High School - About Us Archived 2009-12-20 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ High School CEEB Code Search
  4. 1 2 3 "Lawrence Free State High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ "We hail thee Lawrence Freestate. Our Alma Mater true". YouTube . May 6, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Lawrence FS Concert Band - Firebird Fight Song". YouTube . May 22, 2007.
  7. ↑ Smith, Benton (August 31, 2007). "Haskell Stadium a house of history". Lawrence Journal-World . Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Scholars Bowl State Champions". kshsaachamps.org.
  9. ↑ Clark, Makenzie (April 25, 2022). "NATIONAL CHAMPS! Free State debate duo wins big tournament". LawrenceKSTimes.com.
  10. ↑ "State Records & State Champions". Archived from the original (English) on April 21, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Christian Ballard" (English). NFL.com . Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Free State Firebirds Cody Kukuk, Colin Toalson sign with KU baseball". LJWorld.com. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Zach Thornton - Baseball". Grand Canyon University Athletics. May 9, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
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