Bottom Line

The board will conduct a preliminary review of a new policy on student transfers among Lawrence schools and into the district from other communities.

Under the draft policy, students “shall attend neighborhood schools according in the boundaries set by the board.” In special circumstances, parents may request transfer to an alternate school.

Transfer applications must be submitted to the district by Dec. 1 for the subsequent fall term. Nonresident transfers could be submitted after Jan. 1 for the next school year.

Background

The board must write new policy on transfers because rules were inadvertently left out of the revised manual.

The underlying goal of the revised policy is reduction of transfers among the 18 elementary schools and six secondary buildings starting with the 2003-2004 school year.

About 500 students are granted transfers annually in the district. About two-thirds are for elementary students.

Other business

The agenda:

Convene an executive session at 6:30 p.m. to discuss personnel matters before calling the regular meeting to order at 7 p.m.

Recognize John Drees, coordinator of the Douglas County Safe Kids Coalition, regarding the Oct. 2 international Walk Your Child to School Day.

Honor LuAnn Wilcox, the nurse at Kennedy and New York schools, for earning national school nurse certification.

Open the floor to public comment.

Receive comment by Scott Morgan, board president; Randy Weseman, superintendent; and board members.

Consider a one-year, $53,424 “errors and omissions” policy with United National Insurance Group to defend the board and district employees from claims or lawsuits. Last year, the premium was $15,501.

Decide whether to spend $8,500 to hire George K. Baum as financial adviser for the district’s upcoming school-construction bond issue.

Conduct first reading on edited boundary descriptions for all the elementary, junior high and high school buildings.

Consider a $16,535 contract with Savin Corp., Uniontown, Ohio, for 8,800 reams of white paper.

Consider a $16,682 contract with Harcourt Brace, Iowa City, Iowa, to score the Stanford 9 Achievement Test given children in sixth, ninth and 12th grades.

Review on first reading new policies on student transfers and enrollment as well as school boundaries.

Receive a report from Marlene Merrill, the district’s director of assessment, on the latest results of Lawrence students on state math, reading and writing exams.

Receive a report from district staff on “technology-rich” classrooms in the district.

Conduct a second executive session, this one on a matter held confidential because of attorney-client privilege.