As much as $32 million could be spent to rebuild classrooms and sports facilities for high school students in the Lawrence district, according to proposals to be considered today by school board members.

Under three options to be presented by DLR Group consultants to the board, a minimum of $14.2 million and maximum of $21.8 million would be spent to upgrade classrooms and sports venues at Lawrence and Free State high schools.

In addition, the consultants will outline ideas for a $10.2 million alternative high school complex.

“We’re not going to try to bite this off at one shot,” said Scott Morgan, school board president. “And it’s going to have to be filtered by reality, fiscal and otherwise.”

The board’s meeting is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive. It is open to the public but won’t include a public-comment period.

At the high schools, all three scenarios call for the same levels of spending for academic improvements. Differences are found in options for improving sports facilities.

Supt. Randy Weseman said spending large sums, especially at LHS, to add classroom space probably wouldn’t be controversial.

Red flags are expected to be thrown on ideas for new sports facilities.

‘Rule of thirds’

“It’s the rule of thirds,” Weseman said. “A third support it. A third doesn’t. And then a third is in the middle.”

The consultants have named the various spending options and plans for different types of nuts. The least expensive high school option  Brazil  calls for Free State and LHS to share football, soccer, baseball and softball facilities. Due to lack of open ground at LHS, all but soccer would be at Free State.

“You don’t duplicate anything,” said Brad Kiehl, an associate with DLR Group. “You use each site to the best.”

A slightly more expensive idea, known as cashew, calls for a central complex for the major sports. An immediately apparent downside is that expensive property would have to be acquired to construct the complex.

But Kiehl said an advantage of the cashew option was that it would reduce costs for building the district’s third high school in 20 years or so.

“For a little more money, you end up with growth opportunities within the district,” Kiehl said.

The most costly option  almond  would put Free State and LHS on a level playing field.

“It does everything for both high schools so they are both created equal,” Kiehl said. “They could both be self-sufficient.”

Alternative options

DLR Group staff will recommend spending $10.2 million for a new alternative high school. Students in the alternative school now are in a small brick building and portable classrooms at Holcom Park.

“There is general agreement that the current facility is inadequate,” Morgan said.

This new building also would house the district’s adult education programs, now at 1919 Del., and permit creation of an alternative education program targeting ninth-graders.

“The thing they haven’t done is … propose a site,” said Austin Turney, a Lawrence school board member.

Kiehl said the building could be a new structure or located in an existing school  if one closed.

Consultants previously offered the school board options for consolidating elementary schools and building junior high schools to replace South and Central.

Board members will meet Oct. 10 to consider narrowing options for improving elementary and secondary school facilities.

DLR Group is an Overland Park engineering, architectural and planning firm hired by the board last year to help write a 20-year facilities master plan.

From that document, the board will prioritize construction and consolidation goals.

Funding for immediate objectives would be included in a school bond issue likely to be submitted to voters in early 2003.

Weseman said the biggest clash in the community would center on the idea of closing schools.

Currently, closure of four elementary schools  Riverside, Centennial, New York and East Heights  and replacement of Central and South junior highs are on the table.

“That’s the hot-button issue. Most people will be supportive of fixing up schools. The question is which schools will be remodeled, which schools will be consolidated,” he said.