The Lawrence school board agreed Monday the district should play catch-up by implementing a late-start program at the high schools.

On a voice vote, the board gave tentative approval of a new program in the 2002-2003 school year that permits high school faculty to meet for 90 minutes each month for professional development activities. On these days, classes would begin late.

Scott Morgan, the board’s vice president, said a final vote would be delayed until March 11 to give the public more opportunity to become familiar with the program.

“I just want to make sure that it’s out there,” he said.

Joe Snyder, principal of Free State High School, and Dick Patterson, principal at Lawrence High School, said the Shawnee Mission and Blue Valley districts turned to this concept years ago.

With before-school classes and after-school activities, it’s become too difficult for districts to schedule faculty meetings that everyone can attend.

State and national accreditation agencies have urged the district’s high schools, including Lawrence Alternative High School, to prove all teachers are involved in school-improvement activities.

“We need some common time when we could as an organization implement the goals we set,” Snyder said.

Morgan said he struggled with the concept of late-start, in part because the plan required students to give up a portion of their seminar time.

“It is always the students’ time … that can get carved up,” he said.

In a perfect world, Morgan said, the district would pay teachers extra to attend professional development activities.