Lawrence voters usually are supportive of bond issues to improve local schools.However, with other taxes creeping upward and the looming possibility of a proposal to raise the city sales tax, local taxpayers probably would appreciate a break.

With work just about complete on the 2005 bond issue to rebuild South Junior High School and make improvements at the city’s other junior highs and high schools, district officials are discussing how to deal with $16.5 million in needs they have identified in Lawrence elementary schools. At the same time, the school board has ordered a report on options for improving outdoor athletic facilities for the city’s two high schools. Among those options is the possibility of building a football facility to allow the Lawrence High and Free State teams to say good-bye to Haskell Stadium.

The first order of business on either of these issues is to justify the needs. The main targets for elementary school improvements are plumbing updates and increased classroom space to eliminate the need for portable classrooms. Both are good goals. There isn’t much question about the need to improve aging restrooms, but the district should consider a more restrained approach to adding classroom space.

The biggest items on the capital improvements list are the addition of a gymnasium and classrooms at three local elementary schools: Cordley, Hillcrest and Sunset Hill. Although Cordley has shown consistent growth in the last four years, Hillcrest’s enrollment has been up and down and Sunset Hill’s has been mostly down. Hillcrest has 40 fewer students this year than last, but is 21 students ahead of where it was in 2004. After a small increase in 2005, Sunset Hill has 26 fewer students now than it did in 2004.

The community has been supportive of getting rid of the security problems and inconvenience associated with portable classrooms, but the enrollment numbers raise questions about whether those classrooms might be filling a temporary need that may go away by the time construction occurred.

By the same token, the community historically has been supportive of high school athletic programs, but it would be irresponsible to pursue funding for a new football stadium without establishing a pretty pressing need. Although there has been lots of talk about the substandard facilities at Haskell Stadium, LHS football coach Dirk Wedd told a student reporter in an interview posted Tuesday here on ljworld.com, “There’s a lot of ways around spending $20 million for a sports complex. : Haskell’s a great place, and with a little bit of money, it would be fine for Lawrence High football. Football-wise, we’re happy at Haskell.”

Two LHS players were split in their opinions. One favored a new facility, but the other said, “I think it’s perfectly fine how it is. : I love Haskell field.”

Local high school football fans may be embarrassed by Haskell Stadium, but is a new facility justified? Once again, it’s a matter of wants and needs. It would be great to have it all, but when you’re spending taxpayer dollars, it’s often necessary to settle for something less.