photo by: Nick Krug

Bookbags crowd together on hooks in a second-grade classroom on the first day of school for Lawrence elementary schools in this file photo from Aug. 13, 2014.

As the back and forth on school funding between the Kansas Legislature and the Supreme Court continues — with a shutdown of schools in the balance — Lawrence school district leaders are preparing for all scenarios.

The most recent move came on Wednesday, when Gov. Sam Brownback signed a proclamation calling the Legislature back into special session beginning June 23 to address the court’s ruling on school finance.

The court ruled in February that the way the state distributes aid to schools is inequitable and therefore unconstitutional, and gave state lawmakers until June 30 to make changes. In response, lawmakers made some adjustments to the funding formula, but the court struck down key portions of that method last month.

The court has said that the old way of distributing aid among the state’s 286 school districts is equitable, but it would take an additional $38 million to revert back to that formula. Once lawmakers agree on another revision, the court would again review it to see if the inequities are addressed.

If they are not, the court has said it would not allow money to be raised, distributed or spent under a school funding system that is inequitable. It is not clear whether districts would be allowed to spend reserves or other funds to keep their schools operating through a shutdown. Lawrence schools Superintendent Rick Doll provided answers to how a shutdown, however brief, could affect the district’s summer and its preparations for the next school year.

What summer programs could come to a halt in the event of a shutdown?

All summer programs that use school district funds or facilities could potentially have to stop operating, including the summer school, special education, summer food, Boys and Girls Club and driver education programs, according to Doll. The Boys and Girls Club is not a district program, but the organization uses the schools and could be displaced, along with other community programs planning to use school facilities. Doll said the district is continuing with all of its current plans for the summer, “unless and until we are told to do otherwise.”

About 1,300 students are enrolled in the Boys and Girls Club this summer, according to club spokeswoman Alissa Bauer. As far as the summer food program goes, the school district is in charge of preparing and distributing the breakfasts and lunches for the program, which provides about 50,000 free meals to children throughout the summer.

Would school construction projects stop?

Between the 2013 issue of $92.5 million in bonds and capital outlay funds, the school district is spending more than $100 million to renovate all 20 of its schools. Five construction projects — at Deerfield, Schwegler, Sunflower, Broken Arrow and Pinckney elementary schools — are still in progress, and Doll said four of those need to be completed by the end of the summer in order for the schools to be ready for students in August. If payments cannot be made and construction has to cease, even for a few days, it could mean schools won’t be ready to be occupied by students come the first day of school, Doll said. Pinckney students will hold classes at the former East Heights building next school year, as Pinckney’s project is more extensive.

Would payment to teachers and staff for the summer have to stop? What about health insurance payments made through payroll deductions?

The school district is one of Lawrence’s largest employers, with 1,700 teachers, administrators and staff members. Teachers have always had the option of requesting lump-sum payments for the summer, and between 30 and 40 percent of teachers elected to do so this year, Doll said. Should there be a prolonged shutdown, the district could potentially be unable to pay its staff, whose salaries total more than $4.5 million per month. Doll said the district is working with its health insurance providers on a plan to continue to provide insurance to staff regardless of a shutdown.

How could a shutdown affect district and school board activities in preparation for next school year, such as hiring and budget planning?

The district does much of its hiring during the summer months, and Doll said the district will continue to hire the staff it needs for next school year regardless of circumstances. The Lawrence school board also discusses and finalizes the district’s budget over the summer, and Doll said even a short shutdown could affect that process. Though publication and approval of the budget could be delayed by a shutdown, that would not affect day-to-day operations, Doll said.

How much money does the district have in reserve?

The district has about $6 million in contingency that it could use if the court allows schools to spend reserves during a shutdown, Doll said. If allowed, the district could also potentially use bond funds to keep the district operating, and then replenish those balances once state funding is received. That decision would have to be approved by the Lawrence school board.

Could the first day of school be delayed?

If a shutdown is relatively short, say only a week, it probably would not delay the start of school in August, Doll said. Including its virtual school enrollment, about 12,000 students attend Lawrence public schools. The first day of school for most grades is Aug. 17.

Could the district use a skeleton crew in the event of a shutdown?

There are some things, such as utilities, that Doll said the district does not intend to turn off. Doll said that the superintendent, district administration and school principals, in consultation with the school board, would make decisions about continuity of other critical functions.