Lawrence High School is a public secondary school in Lawrence, Kansas, USA operated by Unified School District 497, and serves students of grades 9 to 12. The school is one of the two public high schools located in the city. Lawrence High enrolled 1,260 students in the 2007-2008 school year. The school colors are red and black and the mascot is the "Chesty Lion".Lawrence High School was established in 1857 in order to help educate the growing population of Lawrence. The first classes were held in the basement of a Unitarian Church. Three years later, the school was relocated to the current site of Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, on Massachusetts Street. In 1930, the Lion was introduced as the school symbol and in 1946, it made its official debut as the school mascot. Lawrence High moved to its current location on Louisiana Street in 1954.Lawrence is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in Class 6A and are known as the "Chesty Lions". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs. Throughout its history, Lawrence High has won more state championships in athletics than any other high school in the state of Kansas.HistoryThe school originated in 1857 and was referred to as "Quincy School". The first classes were held in the basement of a Unitarian church located at 906 Kentucky Street. Three years later the city of Lawrence chartered a public school system, which was located at 15th and Massachusetts, currently the site of Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Construction of the original building for the school was completed in 1865. The high school occupied a succession of buildings until the opening of the present campus, at 19th and Louisiana Streets, in 1954.
