Lawrence school board to discuss attendance zone changes

The Lawrence school board will host a discussion on the proposed changes to attendance zones for elementary and middle schools at its meeting Monday.

The changes, meant to balance enrollment, would impact 12 schools. All but one would take effect in August 2015.

After the district held six public meetings on the changes, two parents spoke in opposition to the proposals at the board’s Nov. 10 gathering.

John Monaghan, the father of a Deerfield Elementary student, spoke against the proposal to move some students attending Deerfield to Sunset Hill Elementary next year.

And Gavin Young, the father of students at Quail Run Elementary and Southwest Middle School, raised concerns about the proposal to move some Quail Run students to West for middle school; currently they would attend Southwest.

Both parents cited transportation concerns and argued that, among other issues, the changes did not adequately address population growth for those parts of Lawrence. Both also said they plan to submit opposition petitions with signatures from dozens of parents.

The Boundary Advisory Committee, which drafted the proposals, will summarize the public’s concerns at Monday’s meeting and present its final recommendations. No vote on the boundaries is expected Monday.

The board will meet at the district’s offices, 110 McDonald Drive, at 7 p.m.

The proposed changes for elementary schools are:

• Langston Hughes: Students north of Sixth Street and east of Queens Road, extending to Folks Road, would attend Quail Run.

• Schwegler: Students north of Clinton Parkway and east of Kasold Drive, extending to Iowa Street, would attend Hillcrest Elementary.

• Deerfield: Students south of Stetson Drive and east to Kasold Drive, as well those south of Trail Road, between Monterey Way and McDonald Drive, would attend Sunset Hill. This is the lone boundary change that would not take effect until the 2016-17 school year.

Middle school boundary adjustments are:

• Pinckney: All students would attend Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, including those north of Sixth Street, extending to Interstate 70, and east of Iowa Street, extending to the Kansas River.

• Langston Hughes: All students would attend Southwest, including the area north of Sixth Street, and west of Queens Road, extending to the district boundary lines.

• Schwegler: All students would attend South Middle School, including those north of 31st Street, extending north to Clinton Parkway, and east of Kasold Drive.

• Sunflower: All students would attend Southwest, including those north of Kansas Highway 10, extending to 31st Street, and east of Kasold Drive, extending to Iowa Street.

• Quail Run: Students north of Harvard Road, extending to the district boundary line, and east of Queens Road, extending to Monterrey Way, would attend West.