School board formally sets bond election

The Lawrence school board took formal action Monday night to approve ballot language for the $92.5 million bond proposal that will appear on the April 2 ballot.

The question will ask voters in the district to approve a bond issue, “to construct additions to and renovate, improve technology infrastructure, equip and furnish existing elementary and secondary schools; construct, equip and furnish a new career and technology education facility and make all other necessary and related improvements in the District (the “Project”) at an estimated cost of $92,500,000.”

District officials have been working for months with design consultants to outline the scope and cost of the projects. Most of the proposed bond issue — about $70.5 million — would be used to refurbish the district’s 14 elementary schools, with particular focus on six older schools in central and east Lawrence: Cordley, Hillcrest, Kennedy, New York, Pinckney and Sunset Hill.

Board members and district officials are calling the proposal a “no tax increase bond” because it would not result in an increase in property taxes the district levies for its bond and interest fund.

Also during Monday’s meeting, the school board received news that Lawrence was among the five school districts in Kansas named to the College Board’s 2012 National Advanced Placement Honor Roll.

To qualify for the honor roll, districts must increase their participation rates and access to AP courses; ensure that participation does not decline among minority students; and increase the percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher, out of a possible 5, on AP tests.

In 2012, 438 high school students in Lawrence took a combined 699 AP tests. Of those, 75.1 percent of the scores were 3 or higher.