photo by: Journal-World

Lawrence Public Schools district offices pictured in April 2021.

Updated 2:45 p.m. Monday: An earlier version of this story included incorrect information about adding seventh grade football, which began in 2020.

The Lawrence school district could soon add a sport to its offerings for some of its middle school students.

The school board on Monday will consider approving a plan to reinstate volleyball for seventh graders. If approved, the sport will begin participating this school year, school district spokeswoman Julie Boyle said Friday.

The proposal is part of the board’s consent agenda, which allows the board to consider several items at once without discussion.

Volleyball was cut from the seventh grade athletic offerings during the 2002-03 school year, along with several other sports, because of budget constraints at the time. Some of those sports were reinstated in 2019, including boys and girls basketball and both seventh and eighth grade cross country, as the Journal-World previously reported.

According to a memo to the board members, recent district budget constraints would not hinder the schools from being able to offer the new programs, and costs would be covered by existing funding to their athletic programs.

Additionally, district administrators said in the memo that reinstating the sport would help enhance the district’s support of academic, social, emotional and behavioral needs.

“When students are engaged and participating in extracurricular activities they also become more focused academically as well as develop a sense of belonging and connection with their school,” the memo said. “This connection extends to students’ family members and creates opportunity for increased family engagement at the school.”

In other business, the board will hear a report on the district’s instructional practices, including information on specific strategic initiatives to help students and provide educators with professional development support.

The school board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in the new boardroom at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive. The meeting is open to the public, but the district may limit attendance because of the pandemic.

Those who attend will be required to wear masks. The district also encourages the public to watch the meeting on Midco channel 26 or online at youtube.com/USD497.

Those who want to speak during public comment, either in person or online, must send an email to PublicComment@usd497.org before the meeting begins at 6 p.m. Additionally, anyone who wants to share comments with board members via email may send them to schoolboard@usd497.org.