photo by: Dylan Lysen/Lawrence Journal-World

Lawrence Public Schools district offices pictured in April 2021.

The Lawrence school board on Monday will consider changing the district’s high school graduation requirements to meet new statewide standards, which, among other things, emphasize career and college preparation and change how math and science credits are handled.

According to the agenda materials for the board’s meeting on Monday, the Kansas State Department of Education in 2022 approved a new set of graduation requirements for Kansas high school seniors that will go into effect with the class of 2028. It’s the first major change to the state’s graduation standards in nearly two decades, and while it doesn’t change the number of credits that Kansas students must take to graduate, it does change how those credits are divided up.

Also on Monday, the board will receive a final report on its “Portrait of a Graduate” public input sessions. The sessions were conducted last fall and asked participants about the characteristics that make an ideal high school graduate. As the Journal-World reported, much of the feedback focused on soft skills such as problem-solving, leadership, teamwork and communication.

In other business:

• The board will consider approving a service agreement that would allow Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center to continue offering its WRAP program (Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities) at Lawrence Public Schools. WRAP is a school-based initiative that provides mental health professionals and other related resources to local schools.

The school board meets at 6 p.m. Monday at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive, and the meeting will also be streamed on the district’s YouTube channel.