Lawrence Unified School District 497, commonly referred to as USD 497 or Lawrence Public Schools, is the governing body of the Lawrence, Kansas public school system. It was organized in 1965 and currently serves approximately 11,000 students from pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 and maintains 15 elementary schools, four middle schools, two high schools, a K–8 virtual school, a virtual high school, an adult learning center and a diploma-completion program. The district covers most of north central Douglas County, a small portion of Leavenworth County and a few square miles of Jefferson County.