A longtime Kansas social worker and Lawrence resident is seeking a seat on the Lawrence school board.

Bob Byers, who also is chairman of the school district’s Equity Council, filed this week. He joins seven other candidates.

“I think school districts around the country, Lawrence specifically, will have some major issues coming up around the budget, how to stay strong and not go backwards when you’re confronted with major cuts,” said Byers, whose son is a Lawrence High School graduate.

Byers has worked for nearly three decades for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. He is currently an assistant program administrator for child support enforcement with the agency.

A state budget crunch will present challenges, but Byers said his time working on equity issues in the district and his professional experience will pay dividends during lean times.

“There’s some hard decisions that have to be made, and they’ve got to be made in a manner in which we don’t lose the gains that we’ve made,” he said.