photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Lawrence school board members met on Monday, April 14, 2025.

Lawrence school board members approved continued services from a nonprofit supporting Kansas school leaders and helping ensure student success.

On Monday, school board members authorized to continue its membership with the Kansas Association of School Boards, or KASB. The membership provides a range of services including lobbying during the legislative session, updates on current education issues, professional development programs for board members, and access to forms, handbooks, and weekly legislative update webinars, according to the agenda.

The school board began utilizing these services from the KASB in the 2018-2019 school year and for services this upcoming school year, it will cost $16,734.

In addition, the board members will be continuing their membership with the KASB Legal Assistance Fund in the total amount of $2,750. The membership covers services from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. The goal of the fund is to enhance – but not replace – legal services provided to school boards through local counsel. Fund membership gives school boards access to legal counsel, research, updates on key litigation, law interpretation, and written legal opinions on relevant issues.

For example, some of these services have included having an “attorney on call” during board meetings along with legal counsel being available through phone calls, email and Zoom meetings. There are also specialized workshops ranging from Title IX to negotiations workshops.

Board member Shannon Kimball did not vote on either of the agenda items due to a conflict of interest.

In other business, school board members:

* Approved the purchase of eight vehicles – which includes two vans for student transportation, three cargo vans for facilities and operations staff and three compact SUVs for staff traveling out of the district – totaling $374,300 from Laird Noller Automotive Inc.

* Approved bids by ACI/Boland Inc. for B.A. Green Construction Co. Inc. to renovate the facilities and operations campus plan, which involved turning a trades warehouse into a “plan room” with additional work stations and tool storage. The total project cost amounts to $164,300.

* Approved agreements with ABcreative and Miracle Recreation for the purchase and installation of additional playground equipment at Deerfield Elementary School, not to exceed $25,000. According to the agenda, the selection of equipment took into account ADA requirements, student enrollment, building capacity and student-to-playground ratios.

* Approved an amendment to an Athletic Training Service Contract with Lawrence Memorial Hospital, which is a part of LMH’s OrthoKansas program, to include summer camps. This program offers daily on-site athletic trainers at each of the high school campuses.

* Held two executive sessions for the purpose of discussing personnel matters with no action to follow.