The draft of a consulting firm’s master plan for Lawrence school district facilities won’t be finished until about a month after an April 30 deadline.

Brad Kiehl, an architect with DLR Group consultants in Overland Park, said the delay wouldn’t alter plans to put a new school bond issue to public vote in November.

“We’re still trying to hold to that deadline,” he said.

The master plan will guide the district this fall as it addresses issues of school consolidation, boundary changes, building renovation and new construction.

A bond issue would be necessary to finance large-scale facilities modifications to the district’s 27 schools and three support facilities.

The most recent bond issue approved by voters in Lawrence was for $16.6 million in 1988. That paid for Langston Hughes School and several school additions.

Project cost increases and the purchase of a $4.1 million administration building pushed the total for the “bond” projects to $19.7 million.

Kiehl said DLR Group was behind schedule on the draft of a master plan because it was taking longer than anticipated to meet with interested teachers, parents, volunteers, school board members and community constituent groups.

At this point, he said, making sure people have an opportunity to express their opinion is more important than abiding by a rigid schedule.

Participants in DLR Group’s sessions rank seven factors relevant to school planning and operations that are part of the master plan mix, the consultants said.

The factors are:

Efficiency Maximize use of facilities to gain budget savings.

Academics Student scholarly achievement.

Nonacademics Student friendships, safety and transportation as well as the school feeder system.

Community Political realities and voter sentiment.

Capital investment Bonded debt in tight budget times.

Vision A 10-year plan to address facilities’ needs.

Programs School space to allow a wide variety of educational programs.