School board members to receive, review Lawrence Elementary School Facility Vision Task Force’s recommendations

A plan that would close one elementary school next year and study six others for potential consolidation arrives Monday in the hands of the Lawrence school board.

Members plan to receive recommendations from the Lawrence Elementary School Facility Vision Task Force during the board’s 7 p.m. meeting at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive.

The task force has recommended closing Wakarusa Valley School next year and then starting a process to study six other elementary schools for consolidation into either four or three schools within the next three to five years: Cordley, Hillcrest, Kennedy, New York, Pinckney and Sunset Hill.

Board members say they do not intend to vote on any recommendations Monday, only to ask questions or seek clarification about the task force’s report. The earliest the board could consider making a formal decision to close Wakarusa Valley would be March 28.

Also Monday, board members will consider:

• Hiring B.A. Green Construction, for $34,359, to renovate a room at Lawrence High School to be used for architecture, small-engine and newspaper education.

• Amending the board’s policy regarding Human Sexuality Education, formerly known as Human Sexuality and AIDS Education, to require that any such curriculum be “medically accurate and evidenced based.”

• Approving change orders and accepting an anonymous donation of $529,546, regarding completed work on restrooms and concessions space at Free State High School.

• Appoint members to the district’s team for negotiating with teachers. Frank Harwood, the district’s chief operations officer, would be chief negotiator. Other members would be Mark Bradford and Bob Byers, school board members; Joni Appleman, principal of Deerfield School; Matt Brungardt, principal of Lawrence High School; and David Cunningham, the district’s director of legal services, human relations and policy.

• Rick Doll, district superintendent, will present a report, “Managing School Choice,” that addresses such topics as charter schools, magnet schools and other concepts.