The Lawrence school board Monday again flashed preference for a city sales tax for public schools, but the option of going for a county tax wasn’t eliminated.

Clarity on the issue might be two weeks away when the board pulls together city, county, state and school officials Oct. 27 for a brainstorming session on whether a city or county election holds the most promise for enacting a half-cent sales tax for education.

“Let’s have a discussion and engage this community,” said Lawrence Supt. Randy Weseman.

The earliest that any sales tax vote could occur is 2004.

Stakes of either ballot measure would be high. A city sales tax would net the Lawrence district about $5.2 million annually. The Douglas County option would raise $5.8 million overall, but it would be shared among seven districts, and Lawrence would get about $4.1 million a year.

The board will devote a study session to the issue at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive.

“I think it’s a good idea to pull those groups together,” said board member Leni Salkind.

Wayne Kruse, president of the Lawrence Education Assn., which represents the district’s 900 teachers, said the assembly would be beneficial to teachers. Many teachers are uncertain how they would vote on a sales tax, in part, because they don’t have a sense for how the money would be spent, he said.

“We have some responsibility to come up with specifics,” said board member Rich Minder.

In the past, Weseman suggested that some revenue from a sales tax could be used to roll back about $1.2 million in fees charged to students for bus transportation, textbook rental and other services. Implementation of all-day kindergarten is another possibility, a move that would cost a minimum of $800,000 a year.

Weseman said the city option, if passed by voters, would begin generating revenue in time for the district to apply it to the 2004-2005 budget year. It might be the next fiscal year before a county tax produces any revenue.

“The city route puts money in the till faster,” he said.

Weseman said interest among school board officials in Eudora and Baldwin would be critical to deciding which avenue to take. Opposition from those boards could easily undermine a campaign to gain passage for all of Douglas County.

“That’s a political call,” said board member Sue Morgan.