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 will consider renewing a contract for the Centegix Wearable Panic Alert System on Monday.

The system comes with “CrisisAlert” badges that are worn by selected district staff members that can call for help in a variety of situations, and the Lawrence school district began utilizing the system at the beginning of 2024. The badges are described as a “mobile panic button” on the Centegix website.

“The CrisisAlert badges, activated by a simple button press, instantly send alerts to administrators and first responders with precise location information,” the agenda said. “This capability facilitates a swift and targeted response to incidents, enhancing the district’s ability to proactively address safety concerns and ensure a secure environment for all occupants.”

The annual renewal of the Centegix Wearable Panic Alert System costs $131,200. However, the district’s Safe Schools Grant provides a 50% match for safety-related purchases, according to the agenda, and Centegix is eligible for this grant. The district will be responsible for paying $65,600. This agenda item is included on board members’ consent agenda, where all items are typically approved in one motion.

As the Journal-World reported, the school board voted to expand the use of the system to all 16 schools in the district in August 2024.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL:

• Hear a presentation from district administration about back-to-school efforts for the 2026-2027 school year. There was no additional information about the report planned for Monday available as of Friday morning.

• Consider participating in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP), and Summer Food Service Program for the 2026-2027 school year. Each of these programs – which are administered by the Kansas Department of Education – help students receive nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals and snacks each school day.

• Consider renewing a three-year contract for Mosyle Manager software from Mosyle Corporation, at a total cost of $282,150. Each school year, the district would pay $94,050. The software is used on Apple devices across the district to enforce security settings, compliance with district policies and management of apps.

• Consider entering into a three-year agreement with Johnson Controls Inc. to provide preventative maintenance for the HVAC systems in district buildings. The total contract amount is $68,256, with the first year costing $21,651, the second year amounting to $22,734 and the third year costing $23,871.