photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Lawrence school board members met on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.

Lawrence school district officials have extended the timeline for an expansion to Langston Hughes Elementary, which was previously slated to be finished in August 2026, and the school board has also approved an architect for renovations to the former Centennial Elementary School.

Board members on Monday were originally scheduled to consider an architectural service agreement for the expansion of Langston Hughes Elementary, a capital project the district originally announced would be completed next year. However, the item was removed from Monday’s meeting agenda, and Superintendent Jeanice Swift announced the project’s timeline would be extended.

“In considering the larger picture of what is needed for thoughtful completion of this project, including the need to address traffic patterns in the area, we will extend the timeline for this project to be completed in summer 2027,” Swift told board members in a memo.

Swift added during the meeting that this will provide additional time to engage more fully with the staff, students, parents, neighbors, the City of Lawrence and the broader community. It will also allow the district more time to plan for how to address its needs in infrastructure, classrooms and more, she said.

There will be opportunities scheduled in the fall and winter to engage with the Langston Hughes community, and Swift said more information on those events will be released soon.

The new program at Centennial will be called the “Choice Campus at Centennial,” and it will offer alternative high school programming in the day and evening. The contract approved on Monday is for planning, architectural, interior design, engineering and cost estimating services from ACI Boland Architects in the amount of $211,200. This agenda item was included on the board’s consent agenda, where all items can be approved in one motion.

The Centennial program would be intended to fit the needs of students who want a “nontraditional” approach, including students who want to earn more credits to graduate sooner or students who need to recover credits to stay on target to graduate in four years.

In other business, school board members:

• Approved the student handbook framework for the 2025-2026 school year. The district’s student handbook encompasses the general rules and guidelines regarding attendance and education within the Lawrence school district. According to the agenda, “updates include nominal adjustments to ensure accuracy.”

• Approved an additional $30,461 to complete additional exterior maintenance work at Billy Mills Middle School. At the board’s March 24 meeting, board members approved a $336,101 bid from B.A. Green Construction Co. Inc., along with a 10% contingency of $33,610, for work at Billy Mills and New York Elementary. Some of the contingency funds have already been used, and at Billy Mills, additional structural support is needed and the cost exceeds the remaining contingency.

• Approved a quote from Kruse Corporation for $58,050 for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning repairs at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. The agenda said the HVAC system at the school is 12 years old and is beginning to show signs of wear. Over the summer, routine maintenance and various repairs were completed; however, additional work remains, particularly in nine classrooms, and needs to be addressed before colder weather sets in.

• Purchased an Atlas Curriculum Management System to manage all current and future pre-K-12 curriculum. The five-year contract will be paid incrementally at $30,000 annually and will not exceed $150,000.

• Held an executive session to discuss matters involving nonelected personnel. No action followed the executive session.