The Lawrence school board Monday approved a hiring freeze on all nonteaching jobs and adopted a series of budget adjustments to eliminate a $664,000 deficit.

Public school district sports programs avoided the death penalty for now.

Monday night's school board budget meeting found Lynda Allen, left, and Ann Bruemmer showing off some of the outdated and worn books the schools has in storage. The board decided Monday not to cut the textbook budget.

But the board ordered Supt. Randy Weseman to evaluate the possibility of closing schools at the end of 2002-2003 to save money.

“If we’re going to do that, we’ve got to start planning now,” he said.

The hiring freeze is effectively immediately, but it won’t apply to classroom teachers. All decisions about hiring will be subject to review by the superintendent.

An enrollment decline of at least 150 students this year and Gov. Bill Graves’ decision last month to slash public school funding put the Lawrence district in the red.

The board covered a big chunk of the shortfall by taking $300,000 from its contingency fund.

Board members also decided to save at least $100,000 through attrition of nonteaching employees, $50,000 by cutting spending on paraprofessional staff, $150,000 by shifting a copier lease out of the district’s general fund and $35,000 by cutting bus routes.

“What you’ve done tonight is protect the program we put in place for our kids,” Weseman said.

Board members set aside for now three cost-cutting options: freeze $50,000 in the textbook purchase fund, cut district appropriations to individual schools by $9.80 per student and reduce winter or spring sports programs.

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Board members fear the next governor will follow in Graves’ footsteps and order another cut in public school funding in January. It would be that kind of action that triggers elimination of athletics programs or forces school consolidation.

“It would not be a pretty picture for public education in this town,” Weseman said.

He estimated a 3 percent cut in state aid to the district would require the district to lay off hundreds of the 750 food service, custodial, maintenance and secretarial staffs.

The idea of closing schools most likely elementary buildings has been discussed for more than a year in collaboration with the DLR Group facilities consulting firm.

However, consolidation was expected to occur in conjunction with future school renovation and construction. The meeting Monday was the first indication budget woes might push that timetable ahead.

“I don’t see the economy turning around,” said Scott Morgan, board president.

Morgan said discussion of sports programs and school closings should “wake people up to the reality” of a district running out of options.

While putting together the current budget, the board adopted $3 million in spending cuts and fee increases.

Pulling $300,000 from the district’s contingency fund will leave about $1.4 million in reserve.