It’s been almost 20 years since Lawrence voters turned down a plan that would have built a second high school and moved ninth-graders from the junior highs into four-year high schools.

The changes proposed in the November 1990 election were more than local voters could support. Moving ninth-graders and creating middle schools for seventh- and eighth-graders caused some concern, but the big issue was whether to split Lawrence students between two high schools.

Despite some passionate opposition at the time, the high school split was approved in 1994, Today, it seems natural for Lawrence to have two high schools, and it would be difficult to identify any negative impacts from that switch.

Now, Lawrence may be ready to revisit the issue of moving ninth-graders to the high schools and creating middle schools for seventh- and eighth-graders — and perhaps moving sixth-graders up from the elementary schools. Current board members have expressed an interest in the idea, and new Superintendent Rick Doll plans to discuss it during the board’s goal-setting session next month.

In 1990, the middle school discussion was both an educational issue and a facilities issue. Moving ninth-graders to four-year high schools was seen as a way to delay the need for a fourth junior high. That junior high has been built now, and although the capacity of existing buildings certainly still will be a part of any new middle school discussion, the district has more flexibility than it did two decades ago.

As one board member noted, Lawrence High held 2,000 at its peak and has about 1,200 now. Moving ninth-graders out and sixth-graders in, would leave junior highs at about the same level.

It may be difficult in the current tight economy, but it would be great if the discussion about middle schools could be focused primarily on what is best for Lawrence students. Lawrence is the only district in the state without a four-year high school setup. State standards are set for a four-year high school curriculum.

Twenty years ago, a number of district patrons were concerned about the social aspects of moving ninth-graders into the high school setting where they would be influenced — for good or ill — by older teens. That concern seems less valid now. Some ninth-graders are more mature than others, but they are largely exposed to all the same cultural influences as older teens. As for sixth-graders, they almost certainly have much more in common with seventh-graders than with kindergartners.

A middle school option is well worth discussion. Lawrence schools aren’t broken, but if there are sound educational reasons to make a change — and that change can be accomplished without increasing financial pressures on the district — we shouldn’t shy away from it. Lawrence likes to be different, but in this case we may just be behind the times.