Lawrence public schools will host a barbecue and groundbreaking ceremony from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Monday at South Junior High School, 2734 La. The public is invited.

The ceremony will call attention to the start of construction of an all-new, two-story, 114,469-square-foot building and the eventual razing of the current 39-year-old, 92,475-square-foot structure.

Plans also call for recognizing the efforts of “Vote Yes for Lawrence Kids,” a group that backed a $54 million bond issue last year.

After the ceremony, school board members will return to district headquarters for the regular board meeting, starting at 7 p.m.

Also hosting the event are the architectural firm Gould Evans Associates and DLR Group, an Overland Park-based consulting firm.