Our Story
Built by Local Families, for Students Everywhere
Lawrence has a rich tradition of Waldorf-inspired education and a growing need for a high school to carry it forward. A group of committed parents began planning in 2024 with a single goal: open a high school in Lawrence by fall 2026.
In early 2026, Sun Prairie partnered with the Lawrence Arts Center, gaining a home in the heart of Lawrence and access to its rich arts curriculum. That fall, we opened our doors with a 9th grade class of 11 students and became the only private, non-faith-based high school in Lawrence.
Our Founding Timeline
2023
Planning Committee Formed
A group of Lawrence families began planning Sun Prairie, with the goal of opening in fall 2026.
2025
First Teacher Hired
Kerstin Smith joined as Humanities Teacher & Administrator, bringing formal Waldorf training to Sun Prairie’s founding faculty.
Jan 2026
Enrollment Opens
Applications opened with a need-based sliding-scale tuition model. No one is turned away for inability to pay.
Early 2026
Lawrence Arts Center Partnership
Sun Prairie partnered with the Lawrence Arts Center for its campus and arts curriculum.
2026
Nonprofit Registration
Sun Prairie registered as a nonprofit in 2026.
Fall 2026
Doors Open
Sun Prairie welcomed its founding 9th grade class of 11 students.
2027 and Beyond
Continued Growth
We plan to add grades 10–12 as our students move through high school.
Our Founding Team
William (Bill) Ayers
Founding Board Member
Bill is an alternative home designer and builder specializing in high-efficiency solar passive homes on the prairie. He has a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Florida and is a 2016 graduate of the Earthship Biotecture Academy in Taos, NM. Bill also received his full degree in Biotecture in 2019 from Earthship Biotecture - Taos, NM. He is a former treasurer and board member for Prairie Moon Waldorf School, and was a member of the fundraising and finance committees there for several years. Bill is pitching in to help build an amazing high school experience for his two boys, in the class of 2031 and 2033.
Kerstin Smith
Humanities Teacher & Admin
Kerstin has spent decades teaching in colleges, churches, and schools, working with a variety of ages. Her oldest daughter is who first brought her to Waldorf Education in 2014, and she has been involved in Waldorf and Waldorf-inspired education ever since. She has formal Waldorf teacher training through the Center for Anthroposophy and heads up the Faculty at Sun Prairie, teaching classes in the Humanities and Performing Arts. Kerstin brings a diverse background in Music Education, Drama, Theology, and Healing. She is a skilled presenter offering workshops, trainings, and retreats, and served for over a decade as a Doula and Childbirth Educator, and is the founder of LiveFRe Collaborative Healing. She moved to Topeka with her family from Wisconsin in 2022 and is excited to be part of this life-changing endeavor.
Kim Pikul
Founding Board Member
Kim is an attorney who has primarily practiced immigration and environmental law. She began her post-law school career as the first director of the EarthRights School in Thailand, a transformational training program for environmental and human rights activists from across Southeast Asia, equipping activists with the skills, tools, and networks necessary to mobilize and lead their communities to defend their land, resources, and rights. She has since worked at non-profits, law firms, and is now in-house counsel. She has been involved in Waldorf and Waldorf-inspired education in various ways through her children since 2013.
Kevin Smith
Founding Board Member
Kevin has a Masters degree in Mathematics from the University of Missouri and has led teams at large tech companies for over 15 years. His 3 children have spent a combined 18 years at Waldorf and Waldorf-inspired schools. Kevin was the Board President at the Madison Waldorf school in Madison, WI from 2018 - 2021.
Karl Johnson
Mentor to Sun Prairie
Karl David Johnson, M.A., has been an educator for more than 40 years and has taught in the Waldorf and Waldorf-inspired movement since 1986. Currently the Director of Pedagogy at the Mountain Song Community School in Colorado Springs, Karl has also served as Pedagogical Director at Santa Fe Waldorf School, the Siskiyou School in Ashland, Oregon, and the Kona Pacific Public Charter School on the Big Island of Hawaii. A founding faculty member of the Santa Fe Waldorf High School, Karl taught high school music, including both Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, which he founded and directed. He also founded and directed the Wilderness Experience program there, leading three six-day trips a year including the annual Senior Solo wilderness experience. He is a certified Educational Support Specialist, and has mentored hundreds of teachers at dozens of Waldorf and Waldorf-inspired schools internationally, including in China, Nepal, New Zealand, the Hawaiian Islands, Canada, and Mexico. He is currently a teacher trainer instructor on the faculty of Gradalis Institute. Karl Johnson is the author of the forthcoming book Honing Our Craft: Pedagogy and Leadership in the Waldorf Classroom.