Lawrence High School (abbreviated as LHS) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

located in

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...

, United States. It is part of the Lawrence Public Schools district. Its current

campus A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a college campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls, student centers or dining halls, and park-li ...

consists of several buildings and was completed 2005. Due to poor

academic performance Academic achievement or academic performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor's deg ...

, the school and district received public criticism in 2012.

Campus History

In 1901, The Lawrence High School was established at the corner of Lawrence and Haverhill street. This is where Lawrence High School served its many students for 106 years. In 2007, a new Lawrence High School campus opened in south Lawrence. The original building houses an alternative high school program, and a public middle school. The new Lawrence High School Campus is organized into academies by grade level, with a 9th Grade Academy, a 10th Grade Academy, and an Upper School Academy which serves 11th graders and 12 graders. The new Lawrence High School Campus also houses the Abbott Lawrence Academy, which serves the highest-performing students and the LIFE program, which serves students who are differently-abled. The new Lawrence High School Campus is one of the largest in the state, with a Field House that can seat 3,400 individuals and a Performing Arts Center that seats an extra 1,200 individuals.

Demographics

Receivership

In 2010, more than one out of every four students at LHS dropped out and only 35 percent of 10th graders were assessed to be proficient in mathematics, according to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standardized testing results. As a result, the school district was put under

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...

by the state Board of Education in January 2012. The receiver named was Jeffrey Riley.Under Receiver’s Rule, Lawrence Schools Show Early Gains
/ref> In 2012, the drop out rate at the high school was more than 50%.

Controversies

6 fights break out at Lawrence High School; extra police assigned

In October 2021, multiple fights were reported in one day. Several fights were caught on film and a teacher was injured due to an altercation.

4 Minors, Mother Arrested in Fight Near Lawrence High School, Police Say

In October 2021, a fight occurred after school dismissal which resulted in 4 minors and an adult to be arrested. Some of the altercation was caught on video.

References

External links

Public high schools in Massachusetts Schools in Essex County, Massachusetts Educational institutions established in 1901 1901 establishments in Massachusetts {{Massachusetts-school-stub