As the budget picture comes clearer into focus, Lawrence school board members today will begin talking again about a $6.6 million list of requests from last year.

It’s unlikely they will make any major decisions at the 5:30 p.m. study session at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive.

But it will be the first time since the April 1 local-option budget election – when voters narrowly approved an extra $679,000 in funding – that board members will talk about the list that includes everything from requests about mental health services to new high school band uniforms. They will also get their first look at an updated request list.

“The real goal is just for people to get their heads around what kinds of money we have,” school board President Linda Robinson said.

Administrators estimate the district will have $1.7 million to $1.8 million in unrestricted funding next school year that can be used for salaries and other programs, separate from money for capital and building requests.

One piece of the budget puzzle is raises for teachers and other staff members. Contract negotiations with the Lawrence Education Association are ongoing.

But board members may want to try to take care of some other budget requests that have been around for years. These include:

WRAP

$175,000 to $350,000

The program places Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center clinical social workers in schools to work with students. As grant funding dried up, district and Bert Nash leaders have said the program may only be available in secondary schools.

Deb Keary, a WRAP worker at Southwest Junior High School, said program leaders and district personnel have tried to meet the community’s needs the last few years.

“If you take any part of that out, it’s going to affect the schools, and it’s going to affect the kids,” Keary said.

A group also is reviewing all mental health services in the district. Another request is to provide more than eight full-time mental health specialists in elementary schools, costing $178,322 to $427,972.

Band uniforms

$100,000 estimated for each high school

Dozens of Lawrence High School parents in November wrote letters to board members urging them to replace the 12-year-old uniforms. Parents and students say they have become worn, and they’re hindering the band’s performance.

“They’re fitted for people who were different sizes than the people we have now,” said Xander Casad, an LHS senior.

Free State parents have said their school’s uniforms could wait until new ones are approved for LHS.

Learning coaches

$815,184 to place them at each elementary school

Elementary school principals have requested learning coaches to analyze data and work with teachers on implementing classroom methods.

“It gives teachers a great professional development opportunity right on the spot and in real time,” said David Williams, principal at Prairie Park School.