photo by: Journal-World

Lawrence Public Schools district offices pictured in April 2021.

Lawrence school board members will get an update on the district’s special education services at their meeting on Monday, and they’ll also be considering a contract with a consulting firm for studies of the district’s enrollment and demographics.

The report from district administration about special education will cover “services and supports, staffing, dispute resolution, finance, partnerships, and celebrations and challenges,” according to a memo in the board’s agenda materials. It will be for informational purposes only, and the board will take no action related to it.

The contract for $80,000 with consulting firm RSP and Associates is on the board’s consent agenda, a list of items that can all be approved at once with a single motion. According to a memo in Monday’s agenda packet from Superintendent Anthony Lewis and Chief Operations Officer Larry Englebrick, the contract with the Overland Park-based firm would be for the completion of five-year enrollment projections and other data related to the district’s demographics. RSP and Associates predicted last fall that the district’s enrollment would drop by about 300 over a period of five years, and its work has been used in the district’s recent budgeting and school boundary discussions.

Outside of the consent agenda, there are no items on the agenda for the board to take action on. The board meets at 6 p.m. Monday at district offices, 110 McDonald Drive.