photo by: YouTube screenshot

Lawrence school board members met on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.

Lawrence school board members at their meeting on Monday approved a construction bid for updates to the district’s middle school theaters.

The bid came from BHS Construction Inc. in the amount of $522,100 along with a 10% contingency not to exceed $52,210. The updates are a result of findings from a study of the performing arts centers in the district’s secondary schools, which identified many safety concerns at the middle schools. The study’s findings were presented to board members in September 2024, as the Journal-World reported.

The district initially released an invitation for bids on May 13, 2025; however, no bids were received by the June 3, 2025, deadline. The invitation was reissued on Jan. 12, and the bids were opened on Feb. 5.

The purpose of the study was to identify areas of concern, areas of inequity between the facilities and to provide recommendations for improvement. Larry Englebrick, deputy superintendent, told the Journal-World that there would be work completed on all the middle schools in the district: Billy Mills Middle School, Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, Southwest Middle School and West Middle School.

Englebrick said many of these updates would improve access to theatrical equipment in a safer way for both staff and students.

Some of the recommendations highlighted in the report that was presented to the board in 2024 were that Billy Mills has a long ladder to the catwalks without fall protection, which should be replaced or reconfigured. At Southwest, the ladder to the catwalk should be replaced with an alternating tread device or spiral stair. Lastly, at West Middle School, scenery battens hung from electrical conduits need to be removed.

This item was on the board’s consent agenda, where all items are typically approved in one motion. There were no reports or new business on Monday’s meeting agenda.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, BOARD MEMBERS:

• Accepted a construction bid from Mammoth Sports Construction LLC for a remodeling project at Free State High School’s outdoor athletic field press box in the amount of $390,500 with a 10% contingency fund up to $39,050, resulting in a total project cost of $429,550. The costs will be paid from the facilities and operations capital outlay funds.

• Purchased playground equipment for two preschool classrooms at Deerfield and Prairie Park Elementary Schools, where the district will begin offering preschool education in fall 2026. The equipment and installation services will come from Aspire 2 Play LLC in the amount of $103,967, with a 10% contingency of $10,396, for a total project cost not to exceed $114,363.

• Held two executive sessions, one to discuss contract negotiations and the other to discuss potential litigation with legal counsel. No action followed either.