The money isn’t there.

In January, Lawrence school officials agreed to put up $25,000 for a study aimed at assessing the need for – and figuring out how to pay for – a sports complex to offset the city ever-increasing demand for recreational facilities.

The $25,000 was to come from the USD 497’s capital outlay fund. But the school district’s legal counsel and its auditing firm now say the fund can’t be spent on studies.

Tonight, the Lawrence school board is expected to discuss whether to take the money from the district’s general fund, which is considerably leaner than its capital outlay fund.