Agenda Highlights

Bottom line

Lawrence developers will ask the board a second time to buy land at Free State High School for a new road.

Lance Johnson of Peridian Group, which represents Penna Cae Investors, wants to acquire 2.2 acres northwest of the high school for a street leading to the proposed site of 42 single-family homes.

Background

Several board members expressed reservations about selling to Penna Cae at a meeting June 2. At that time, Johnson was asked to study alternatives.

He submitted a letter which outlines a revised proposal.

Supt. Randy Weseman said the administration wouldn’t offer a recommendation.

Agenda

• Recognize George “Skip” Bennett of Southwest Junior High School and Jane Imber of Quail Run School for receiving the mayor’s Excellence in Education awards.
• Receive comment from Scott Morgan, board president, Supt. Randy Weseman and board members.
• Consider a $43,979 contract with Thomas McGee insurance agency in Kansas City, Mo., to serve as third-party administrator of the district’s workers’ compensation plan for 2003-2004.
• Consider a $6,480 contract with Enrollcom of Oklahoma City for creation of an online fringe benefit enrollment system for 2003-2004.
• Consider a $269,101 contract with St. Paul Insurance Co. for property and liability insurance for 2003-2004. It represents a 9.8 percent increase.
• Consider lease agreements with AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile Communications that would allow both companies to place antennas on a communications tower built by Sprint PCS at Free State High School. AT&T and T-Mobile would make one-time payments to the district of $3,000 each and agree to make annual rental payments to the district of $7,000 for AT&T and $4,500 for T-Mobile.
• Consider a proposal from Peridian Group to buy 2.2 acres of land northwest of Free State High School for construction of an access road to a proposed housing development.
• Consider ratification of 2003-2004 contract for teachers that provides a 3.5 percent increase in salary and benefits.
• Consider adoption of the same 3.5 percent compensation increases for the district’s classified and administrative staff.
• Consider a one-year extension of the superintendent’s contract.
• Consider a $90,000 cooperative agreement among the school district, Lawrence Partnership for Children and Youth and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County Inc.
• Consider a $146,079 contract with Advanced Computer Systems, Lawrence, for computer network upgrades in the district’s secondary schools.
• Consider a $2,253 contract for business and computer programming standards textbooks.
• Consider a $15,034 contract with Scott Foresman Consumable Handwriting materials for elementary students.
• Consider a $32,750 contract with Hume Music, Lawrence, for repair of band and orchestra instruments.
• Consider a $32,500 contract with First Management, Lawrence, for renovation of a living unit at Edgewood Homes, 1600 Haskell Avenue, for use by Brookcreek Learning Center preschool children as part of a federal grant program.
• Consider a $25,085 contract with Novell Contract Management of Provo, Utah, for the third year of an agreement to provide network software in school buildings.
• Consider a $99,840 contract with Microtech Computers, Lawrence, and a $21,942 contract with Southeast Kansas Educational Service Center, Girard, for improving video editing technology in secondary schools.
• Consider a $15,798 contract with Scholastic, Westmont, Ill., for early-childhood program materials.
• Consider on first reading district policies on political activities, enrollment and prohibited activities, including hazing.
• Discuss the district’s 2003-2004 budget with Kathy Johnson, director of finance.