photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Members of the Lawrence school board meet Monday, June 13, 2016, at the district's offices.

The Lawrence school board on Monday unanimously approved its 2016-2017 budget plan, which includes cuts to the district’s teaching staff and its property tax rate.

As part of the newly approved budget, 17 full-time teaching positions will go unfulfilled in Lawrence classrooms; however, all but three were vacated through retirement or resignation. The cuts, which also include a districtwide nursing position, will save the district about $987,000 collectively — a move deemed necessary by school board members at last month’s meeting because of inadequate state funds.

Because state aid for the previous and upcoming school years was not calculated on a per-pupil basis, the district has not received additional funding as enrollment has continued to rise. Last year, the district welcomed 250 new students; as many as 150 newcomers are expected to enroll in Lawrence schools this year.

The staff reductions make up the majority of the cost-cutting measures in the budget, which covers the school year from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2017. Under the budget, local property owners will experience a 3.165 mill decrease from the previous school year’s mill levy.

The new mill reduction would amount to about $58 less per year in property taxes paid for the owner of a home valued at $160,000.

In other business, the board:

• Partook, along with several school leaders, in an annual goal-setting session before the start of the regular meeting. During the session, Superintendent Kyle Hayden presented feedback collected after his state-of-the-district conversations at each of the district’s schools as well as the annual goal-setting and evaluation workshop held at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. The results include feedback from approximately 100 teachers, parents and staff, and will be reviewed further at next month’s school board meeting.
• Reviewed a report on the results of a districtwide workplace climate survey. Conducted by Patron Insight, the online survey included feedback from 944 teachers and staff.
• Reviewed a report from Tony Barron, Lawrence schools’ executive director of facilities and operations, on the district’s master plan for such. The plan includes the district’s tentative acquisition of a vacated Douglas County Public Works property at 711 E. 23rd St. That purchase still awaits approval from the Douglas County Commission. The report also discussed plans for a district-owned warehouse that would stock supplies and other items for schools.

The next school board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive.