photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Lawrence school district offices building, located at 110 McDonald Dr., is pictured in May 2025.

Lawrence school board members next week will take a first look at a policy setting a target range for the district’s operating cash reserves, aiming to maintain financial stability.

On Monday, board members will discuss a fund balance policy requiring the district to manage its finances so that the projected year-end operating cash balances fall within a range of 12% to 20% of the prior year’s operating expenditures. The policy is meant to help ensure fiscal responsibility and long-term financial stability for the school district.

This is the first time a draft of this policy has come before school board members. They’re not expected to act on it this week, however; the discussion is for informational purposes only.

According to the agenda, as of June 30, 2025, the district’s operating cash balance was 18.5% of annual operating expenditures, which was calculated by the Kansas State Department of Education. This calculation includes general funds and most special revenue funds but excludes bond and interest funds, capital outlay, insurance reserves, grants and other funds not used for daily operations.

The agenda said maintaining an adequate fund balance will support a strong bond rating and will help keep tax rates stable, especially during periods of economic uncertainty.

The primary purpose of a fund balance policy is to ensure the district has sufficient reserves to address unexpected expenses, revenue shortfalls and emergencies.

Kansas does not require school districts to follow a fund balance policy, but districts are encouraged to maintain a strong cash reserve. The Kansas State Department of Education recommends operating cash balances between 12% and 20% of annual operating expenditures. Meanwhile, guidance from the Government Finance Officers Association suggests maintaining reserves equal to at least two months of operating expenses, with some studies indicating a target of approximately 15%, but other recommendations can vary.

In other business:

• The board members who won seats in the 2025 general election, newcomer Matt Lancaster and incumbents Kelly Jones and Shannon Kimball, will be sworn in by Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew at the beginning of Monday’s meeting. The board is also expected to formally appoint incumbent Bob Byers, the fourth-place finisher in the 2025 general election, to fill a vacancy that was left after board member Anne Costello resigned in October 2025.

Prior to the election results being finalized, board members approved allowing the fourth-place finisher to fill the vacant seat. According to the agenda, “the board president and past president reviewed the Board Governance and Operating Manual section addressing board vacancies, as well as the application materials and procedures used” during a past vacancy process to come to this recommendation.

• The board will hear a report on legislative priorities from the Lawrence teachers union and the Kansas National Education Association. No additional information about the report was included in the board’s meeting agenda as of Friday afternoon.

• The board will consider authorizing consulting firm RSP & Associates LLC to provide a five-year enrollment analysis and build an address locator model that will allow Realtors, staff and patrons to enter an address in the district and receive information on the schools children living at that address should attend. The cost for these services is $35,000.

According to the agenda, for the 2025-2026 school year, the firm will project the enrollment at each of the district’s school buildings for the next five years with current boundaries, including tables, graphs and charts. RSP & Associates will also meet with county and city planners and developers to discuss land use and future development plans and will factor those variables into the enrollment projection model.

As the Journal-World reported, the district has been partnering with the firm for many years. In addition, the district’s Boundary Advisory Committee partnered with RSP & Associates to evaluate boundary proposals for Lawrence High and Free State High to alleviate enrollment imbalances between the two schools for the 2025-2026 school year. However, the firm told committee members a change to the boundaries was not yet needed.

• The board will consider purchasing one Ford F-350 chassis from Laird Noller Automotive Inc. at the cost of $50,781. According to the meeting agenda, the district received a $50,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Business Builder Grant earlier this fall to purchase a box truck that will support the delivery of baked goods throughout the district.

The new truck chassis costs $50,781, and the installation of the box and lift gate — which will take place after the chassis is received — will cost $19,064. The grant will cover $50,000 of the chassis, with the remaining balance funded through the capital outlay budget.

• The board will consider purchasing middle school choir uniforms from Southeastern Performance Apparel in the amount of $21,715. The uniforms consist of a matching ensemble of black dresses and three-piece sets including a black shirt, pants and a matching school-color tie.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the district offices, 110 McDonald Drive. Public comment will not be included on Monday’s agenda, but people can share written comments with the board via email at schoolboard@usd497.org. The meeting will also be available via the school district’s YouTube channel.