photo by: Rochelle Valverde

The Lawrence school board meets at district offices on March 23, 2020.

The Lawrence school board will hold a special meeting to consider the district’s continuous learning plan, and the public is invited to attend via TV or internet.

“To safeguard public health,” the district invites patrons to watch the meeting on Midco channel 26 or online at youtube.com/USD497, according to a Friday news release from district spokeswoman Julie Boyle.

Those who want to speak during public comments at the meeting can still do so. Email Deputy Board Clerk Dawn Downing at DDowning@usd497.org by 5 p.m. the day of the meeting; she will provide a link to allow patrons to share comments with the board by Google video, telephone conferencing or in writing, according to the release.

Comments can also be emailed to board members ahead of the meeting. Their contact information is available on the district’s website at usd497.org/Board.

“These meeting format changes are intended to protect the health and safety of the board, staff, and public, and are in keeping with new direction provided school districts from the Kansas Attorney General,” according to the news release.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2. Documentation of the continuous learning plan was not available with board agenda materials on the district’s website as of Friday afternoon.

The development of the district’s plan for remote learning was ongoing as of Monday, March 23. Superintendent Anthony Lewis said that teachers had begun holding virtual meetings with school principals to further develop the district’s remote learning plan, the Journal-World reported. Lewis said the school district’s remote learning format would follow guidance from the Kansas State Department of Education, which has provided recommendations regarding how much remote learning each grade level should have.