Renderings of possible improvements to Lawrence High School.

On Monday, school board members and district leaders were given a glimpse at the possible future aesthetics and functions of Lawrence’s secondary schools.

And the new renderings — and proposed design plans — supplied by architecture firm Gould Evans suggest a few modifications that illustrate the changing world today’s students will someday inherit.

Among the proposed renovations are the additions of LGBTQ-friendly locker rooms and restrooms in both high schools and middle schools as well as the reduction of locker space (due to the proliferation of digital textbooks, there’s less of a need for bulky storage, district leaders say) in Lawrence’s middle schools.

Also in the approximate $72 million total budget as of now: $7 million roof repairs and replacements at all secondary schools, an expanded kitchen and overall classroom space at Lawrence High School to accommodate the district’s growing population, and the transformation of Free State High School’s library into an “innovation commons.”

“The 2013 bond issue was primarily elementary-focused, so we knew we had more work to do at the secondary schools,” said Tony Barron, the district’s executive director of facilities and operations.

This time around, Barron and district leaders turned their attention specifically to LHS, engaging with a steering committee to identify the 62-year-old building’s most pressing needs. After touring newer buildings (i.e., those that had been built within the last 10 years) in Lansing, Lee’s Summit and the Blue Valley district, it became clear to district officials that LHS, in comparison, needed to increase its classroom size.

Gould Evans is proposing 293,000 square feet of classroom renovations to address that problem, which is also being combatted, albeit on a smaller scale, at the much-newer Free State High School. The architects’ plan would add 17,500 square feet to accommodate overcrowding in classrooms.

The additional space, particularly at LHS, is probably the biggest item on the renovation agenda, Barron said.

But the renovations to school locker rooms and restrooms might draw some conversation, at least from a news-cycle standpoint, among the public as the district advances on its bond-project timeline over the next few months.

“The thought behind this is really unknown right now. The unfortunate thing is, it’s new territory for us,” Barron said of the improvements, which would likely entail private shower facilities and more gender-neutral bathrooms. “We are mandated, obviously, by federal law, to make accommodations. We’ve reached out to the LGBTQ community within the school district, and we’ve had one meeting with them to ask, What is the world that you live in?”

What district officials heard in response, Barron said, is that “it’s new territory” for these students as well, who are still unsure of how they’d prefer to use facilities.

But Barron remains excited about the continuation of talks with the community in creating schools that are functional for all, he said. The district will “sit on” its current design until the public votes on the bond issue, approving the multimillion-dollar project or not, in the spring.

That election will hopefully take place in April, Barron said, but first, the district must present a budget to the school board before a resolution can be passed to allow for marketing of the bond projects. Barron hopes to make that presentation sometime before winter break.

If Lawrence votes to move forward with the 2017 bond, the district will then put out qualifications for an architect and construction company. Gould Evans has only been contracted for the pre-bond planning as of now.

It’s all a “big picture” at the moment, Barron said of improvements such as the LGBTQ-friendly facilities. But he’s having fun with the process.

“I enjoy talking about it,” he added. “I’ll be more excited to talk with you if we do pass it.”