LJWorld.com

Lawrence school board members approved about a 0.25 mill decrease Monday night for the 2007-08 budget.

Board members also showed support for having Superintendent Randy Weseman sit down and review the WRAP program with David Johnson, chief executive officer of Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.

"I want to work with David to fix this, and I want to make this a strong program," Weseman said. "I think that any program, if it's strong, can take the scrutiny of a review. I think that's what we need to do."

The program's future funding has been in doubt because school leaders say they have to first settle ongoing negotiations with Lawrence teachers before looking at what money would be left over for new requests.

WRAP places social workers in Lawrence schools to help troubled or at-risk students. The program has been mostly grant-funded for 10 years, but last year the district, city and county divided most of WRAP's $1.1 million cost.

Weseman and Johnson will look at the program and present a plan to board members later this fall. Weseman had hoped to use the district's "at-risk" funding for WRAP, but state leaders said that money must be used for direct instruction.

"I think we can fix this, and I think we can bring you something that we can work with," Weseman said.

Johnson said the program has two position openings, which will not be filled for now. WRAP currently has enough funding leftover from last year's approved city and county budgets to at least operate through the fall semester, he said.

"I'm convinced that in some fashion it will continue," Johnson said.

He also mentioned Bert Nash possibly growing an endowment to help.

Six other supporters, including three former students who used WRAP, spoke during Monday's budget hearing.

"It is of significance to problem juveniles within the community to have a special counselor to which they can go to and be involved with," Lawrence attorney Shelley Bock said.

With the overall maximum budget authority of $128.8 million, board members approved the slight drop in the mill levy compared with last year.

Administrators have said the owner of a $150,000 home in the district could see a savings of a few dollars.

Earlier this year, board members were considering a 3 mill increase, but the district was able to save money on its ongoing bond-funded projects to help reduce its bond-and-interest levy and only slightly increase capital outlay levy to offset an increase in the district's general fund.