photo by: Journal-World

Lawrence Public Schools district offices pictured in April 2021.

Updated at 5:35 p.m. Monday, March 6, 2023

The Lawrence school district has scheduled the public hearings for the potential closures of Broken Arrow and Pinckney elementaries for Saturday, March 25.

The public hearing for the potential closure of Broken Arrow will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 25, in the Broken Arrow school gymnasium, according to district spokesperson Julie Boyle. The public hearing for the potential closure of Pinckney will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, in the Pinckney school gymnasium.

Regarding the format, Boyle said a representative of the board will present the proposals for closing, and the board will hear public comment. In response to whether virtual or written comment would be accepted, Boyle said that any member of the public may send “written correspondence” to the board at any time. She said she would have to check regarding whether virtual comment would be available, and had not yet provided a response by 5 p.m. on Monday.

Regarding written correspondence, Boyle said the public may send correspondence to the school board at any time via email to schoolboard@usd497.org or in care of the board clerk at USD 497, 110 McDonald Drive, Lawrence, KS 66044. She said correspondence could also be sent individually to board members, and those email addresses were available on the district’s website, usd497.org.

Lawrence school board members voted on Feb. 28 to hold public hearings for the two school closures, and to move forward with a reduction of 50 teachers across the middle and high school levels at the district’s brick and mortar schools and the Lawrence Virtual School. The public hearings are a necessary step should the board ultimately decide to close either of the schools.