Lawrence Public Schools

Lawrence Public Schools is a Massachusetts public K-12 district operating 24 school buildings in Lawrence, serving pre-K through adult learners with state-funded free education, currently under state receivership transitioning to local control.

Company typePrivate
Founded2012
HeadquartersLawrence, United States
Headcount1,001–5,000
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Lawrence Public Schools does

Lawrence Public Schools is a public K-12 school district serving the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts, operating 24 school buildings and approximately 30 educational programs spanning pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle, high school, special education, and adult learning. The district has been under Massachusetts state receivership since 2018, with oversight transitioning from the Lawrence Alliance for Education (a six-member board) to an individual receiver, Lauren Woo, Ed.D., in January 2026 to support the district's planned return to local control. Ralph Carrero serves as Superintendent, and the district's governance includes a School Committee chaired by Mayor Brian A. DePeña. The district serves a high-need, multilingual population with concentrated wraparound services for English Learners, students in foster care, and homeless students under the McKinney-Vento Act.

The district's core technology stack is built on commercial education platforms: PowerSchool as the Student Information System; Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps for Education for productivity; and a curriculum suite that includes Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts, Eureka Math/Engage NY, Imagine Learning and Literacy, Know Atom Science, and ST Math. Assessment is delivered through NWEA MAP (computerized adaptive K-12 assessments), DIBELS 8th Edition, Acadience Math, Summit K12, and ACCESS for ELLs. The district also operates an in-house television station and media production center for district communications. Major 2025 infrastructure upgrades include the new Francis M. Leahy K-8 and Henry K. Oliver K-8 school buildings — the district's first new construction in over two decades — built in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

The district operates as a government entity funded through Massachusetts Chapter 70 state aid (boosted by the 2019 Student Opportunity Act), local property taxes, and federal grants including Title I, IDEA, Title III, and ESSER. Education is provided free of charge to all Lawrence residents, with no tuition or enrollment fees. Enrollment is geographically assigned through neighborhood feeder patterns, with a variance process for alternatives and a Family Resource Center for walk-in registration. The district's 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, developed through extensive community engagement, organizes operations around four pillars: Rigorous Standards, High-Quality Enrichment Opportunities, Mindset Development, and Critical Thinking.

Lawrence Public Schools firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Lawrence Public Schools
Legal name: Lawrence Public Schools
Website: https://lawrence.k12.ma.us
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2012
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1,001–5,000 employees
Short description: Lawrence Public Schools is a Massachusetts public K-12 district operating 24 school buildings in Lawrence, serving pre-K through adult learners with state-funded free education, currently under state receivership transitioning to local control.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Lawrence Public Schools industry classification

Industry

Product category: K-12 Public Education
NAICS: Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)
akta.pro secondary industry: Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

Keywords

Public K-12 education
School district services
Free public schooling
Primary secondary education
Multilingual learner programs

Where Lawrence Public Schools is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Lawrence
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Lawrence Public Schools business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Government Funding: Lawrence Public Schools is funded through Massachusetts state education funding, local property taxes, and federal grants including Title I, ESSER funds, and Student Opportunity Act allocations.
Federal Grants: District receives funding through Title I, IDEA (Special Education), Title III (English Language Learners), ESSER grants, and other federal education programs.
Student Opportunity Act (SOA): Massachusetts 2019 Student Opportunity Act provides additional state funding to support district improvements in alignment with the district's SOA plan.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Free public K-12 education for Lawrence residents

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Lawrence Public Schools product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Lawrence Public Schools operates a K-12 public school district providing free educational services to residents of Lawrence, Massachusetts across 24 school buildings. The district delivers core academic curricula (Amplify CKLA, Eureka Math, Imagine Learning, Know Atom Science, ST Math), formative and summative assessment programs (NWEA MAP, DIBELS, MCAS, ACCESS for ELLs), special education, multilingual learner support, career and technical education, adult learning, social-emotional learning, and school nutrition and transportation services.

Product overview

Lawrence Public Schools is a K-12 public school district providing comprehensive educational services across approximately 24 school buildings. The district offers a unified educational platform comprising core academic curricula (including Amplify CKLA, Eureka Math, Imagine Learning, Know Atom Science, and ST Math), formative and summative assessment tools (NWEA MAP, DIBELS, Acadience Math, Summit K12, ACCESS for ELLs), and media production services. The district operates an educational television station and production center for district communications and content creation. Major infrastructure initiatives include new school construction projects for the Francis M. Leahy School and Henry K. Oliver School, both anticipated to open in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

K-12 Public Education Program Comprehensive K-12 public education free of cost to Lawrence, MA residents, providing core academic instruction aligned with Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade across 24 school buildings.
Adult Learning Center Adult education and GED programs for Lawrence residents seeking high school equivalency and continuing education.
Lawrence Early Childhood Center
Multilingual Learner / English Language Learner Program
School for Exceptional Studies
RISE Academy and Spark Academy
Lawrence Family Public Academy
Abbott Lawrence Academy and Unidos Academy
School Nutrition Program
Transportation Services
LPS Educational Television Station
LPS Media Production Center
Mobile Market Food Distribution Program

Companies that use Lawrence Public Schools

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Lawrence Public Schools technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Lawrence Public Schools partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

Massachusetts School Building AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState authority partnering with the City of Lawrence and district for school building projects including the Francis M. Leahy School and Henry K. Oliver School. Provides partial grant reimbursement for construction costs. These are Lawrence's first new school buildings in over two decades.
City of LawrencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner responsible for school building projects, providing local funding match and coordinating with Department of Public Works for facility maintenance and repairs.
Atlantic Construction & ManagementmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOwner's Project Manager for the Leahy School Building Project, providing construction management oversight.
Mount Vernon Group ArchitectsmajorTechnology or IntegrationDesigner for the Francis M. Leahy School K-8 building project.
J&J ConstructionmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction contractor for the Francis M. Leahy School Building Project.
Anser AdvisorymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOwner's Project Manager for the Henry K. Oliver School Building Project.
SMMAmajorTechnology or IntegrationDesign collaborative for the Henry K. Oliver School, won Gold Award from ACEC for Outstanding Professional Design Excellence.
Consigli ConstructionmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction Manager for the Henry K. Oliver School Building Project.
Achievement NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational organization partner supporting the advancement of teacher quality and learning in the district.
School Empowerment NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting school improvement and educator development.
WestEdmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation research organization partner supporting curriculum and instruction improvements.
HILL for LiteracymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiteracy support organization partner providing professional development and resources.
Great Schools PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership supporting school improvement and student achievement.
Lawrence Boys and Girls ClubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing after-school programming and youth development services for LPS students.
Lawrence YMCAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing enrichment programming and activities for students.
Merrimack Valley Community School of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing music education and enrichment programs.
Boston CelticsStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional sports team supporting district initiatives including Mobile Market food distribution events.
Pimco FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting Mobile Market community food distribution events serving Lawrence families.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Lawrence Public Schools competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Boston Public Schools: Massachusetts urban public school district serving Pre-K through adult learners with similar multilingual learner, special education, and turnaround challenges. Closest comparable in scale, urban context, ELL population, and state oversight structure.
Lowell Public Schools: Adjacent Massachusetts Gateway City district with comparable demographics, large ELL population, and urban turnaround profile. Operates under the same Massachusetts Chapter 70 funding framework and state accountability system.
Worcester Public Schools: Massachusetts' second-largest urban district, comparable in serving high-ELL, high-poverty student populations under state accountability. Operates a similar portfolio of schools, magnet programs, and community partnerships.
Springfield Public Schools: Massachusetts Gateway City urban district that has also experienced state receivership and turnaround oversight. Comparable in scale, demographics, and reliance on state and federal categorical funding.
Holyoke Public Schools: Western Massachusetts Gateway City district that emerged from state receivership, providing the most directly relevant comparison for Lawrence's current turnaround and receivership-exit trajectory.
Lynn Public Schools: North Shore Massachusetts urban district serving a comparable multilingual, low-income population under the same state Chapter 70 framework. Operates a similar mix of neighborhood and specialized schools.
Chelsea Public Schools: Small urban Gateway City district with one of the highest ELL percentages in Massachusetts, providing a comparable operating context for Lawrence's multilingual learner programming and turnaround initiatives.
New Bedford Public Schools: Massachusetts Gateway City district with similar urban demographics, multilingual learner population, and reliance on state and federal Title I funding streams.
Brockton Public Schools: Massachusetts urban district with a high-need student population, similar ELL and special education profiles, and parallel reliance on state and federal categorical funding for turnaround work.

Emerging players

KIPP Massachusetts Public Charter Schools: Massachusetts public charter network serving similar urban, high-ELL student populations with a college-prep focus. Directly competes with Lawrence Public Schools for students under the same state funding framework and accountability system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Lawrence Public Schools financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Lawrence Public Schools leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Lawrence Public Schools funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Lawrence Public Schools M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lawrence Public Schools

What does Lawrence Public Schools do?

Is Lawrence Public Schools a public or private company?

Lawrence Public Schools is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Lawrence Public Schools founded?

Lawrence Public Schools was founded in 2012. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.

Where is Lawrence Public Schools based?

Lawrence Public Schools is headquartered in Lawrence, United States, in the North America region.

How does Lawrence Public Schools make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are federal Grants and student Opportunity Act (SOA).

Who are Lawrence Public Schools's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Boston Public Schools, Lowell Public Schools, Worcester Public Schools, Springfield Public Schools, Holyoke Public Schools, Lynn Public Schools, Chelsea Public Schools, New Bedford Public Schools and Brockton Public Schools. KIPP Massachusetts Public Charter Schools is listed as an emerging player.

Does Lawrence Public Schools have an API?

No public API is recorded for Lawrence Public Schools.

What industry is Lawrence Public Schools in?

Lawrence Public Schools's product category is K-12 Public Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAE, Public K–12 Combined Schools, with a secondary code of EDAJAAAH, Public Special Education Schools & Programs. Its NAICS code is 611110 and its SIC code is 8200.