Bottom line

The Lawrence school board will seek public comment on a draft of a $106.8 million budget for 2003-2004 school year.

It includes a 3.5 percent increase in salary and benefits for all 1,600 district employees.

The board gave preliminary approval for the budget last month on a 6-0 vote.

The public hearing on the budget begins at 6:30 p.m. The regular meeting is at 7 p.m.

Background

The spending plan reduces the property tax mill levy for Lawrence public schools by 2 mills.

The new levy will be 47.8 mills, compared to 49.8 mills a year ago. That’s down from 55.3 mills in 2001-2002.

A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 in assessed valuation.

Other business

• Receive comment from Austin Turney, board president; Supt. Randy Weseman; and board members.
• Consider a $19,398 contract with School Specialty of Appleton, Wis., for 180 student desks and chairs for junior high schools and high schools.
• Consider a $56,892 contract with Dell Marketing of Round Rock, Texas, for 36 wireless laptop computers for Lawrence High School.
• Consider a $65,942 contract with Houghton Mifflin for reading materials used in an elementary school program financed with a state grant.
• Consider a $16,401 contract with Harcourt Educational Measurement of San Antonio for scoring of the Stanford 9 Achievement Test for students in grades six, nine and 12.
• Consider final action on a policy on substitute teachers that removes from principals and grants to the district’s human resources department decisions regarding continued employment.
• Consider adoption of the 2003-2004 budget.
• Receive a report from Cris Anderson on preparation for opening East Heights Early Childhood/Adult Education Center.
• Receive a report from Sandee Crowther on Lawrence reading and math test scores in relation to federal mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.