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 on Monday will consider a more than $3.5 million renovation contract to prepare for the district’s new Choice Campus at Centennial program launching this fall.

The renovation services from Centric Projects LLC will cover improvements necessary to bring the building into alignment with current safety, code, and programmatic requirements and to support the long-term use of the facility.

The project includes interior renovations consisting of interior finish improvements, door replacements, interior wall reconfiguration, and fire separation upgrades. There will also be some exterior improvements, such as the construction of a new enclosed vestibule, a new canopy addition, and installation of sun-shading devices.

The scope of work includes selective demolition, general construction, and associated mechanical, electrical and fire protection work required to support the planned renovations, the agenda said.

The bid for the renovations is $3,185,094 in the base amount, and with a 10% contingency of $318,509. There are also separate contingency funds for fire alarm system work in the amount of $68,654 and there may be potential restroom upgrades needed, adding an additional $60,000. The project’s total is not to exceed $3,503,603, so staff are asking for the fire alarm and restroom contingencies to be absorbed by the greater renovation contingency fund.

There are two other items featured on the board members’ consent agenda – where all items are typically approved in one motion – related to the Choice Campus at Centennial project.

The first item is a bid to perform roof replacement services from Meridian Roofing Solutions in the base amount of $568,935. In addition, a 10% contingency in the amount of $56,893 for a total project cost not to exceed $625,828. According to the agenda, due to the age and configuration of the existing roof system, the roofing project scope extends beyond a typical roof replacement. Additionally, the existing roof materials will need to be removed and disposed of.

The other item is a proposal from Norton and Schmidt Consulting Engineers LLC in partnership with Roof Asset Management Services LLC to provide engineering and construction administration services in the amount of $28,170. These services include providing detailed plans and specifications suitable for competitive bidding, submittal reviews, site visits, written reports and final inspections.

The new Choice Campus at Centennial program will offer high school students a flexible, come-and-go learning environment, and it is designed to personalize education around individual needs.

The program is anticipated to open in August 2026, just in time for the upcoming school year. While there will be a few traditional classrooms in the building, Superintendent Jeanice Swift previously said in an interview with the Journal-World, the space will primarily be used for a student’s own benefit, such as simply grabbing a laptop and getting support from staff on site.

As the Journal-World reported, board members previously approved architectural, interior design, engineering and cost estimating services from ACI Boland Architects in the amount of $211,200.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL:

• Receive a presentation on Lawrence school district improvements staff will be focusing on as they prepare for the 2026-2027 school year. After working to implement community feedback from last fall into multiple district efforts, the district asked the public for additional feedback to understand what the district is doing well, where it needs to improve and what the priorities should be moving forward.

The district held multiple events for community conversations throughout January and February, and now, they will be presenting what improvements they have planned for the 2026-2027 school year to board members at Monday’s meeting. There was no additional information included in the agenda as of Saturday afternoon.

• Consider authorizing Musco Sports Lighting LLC to replace the obsolete football field lighting at Free State High School and Lawrence High School, and the softball field lighting at Lawrence High School, in the base amount of $590,000, along with a 10% contingency in the amount of $59,000, for a total project cost not to exceed $649,000.

The athletic field lighting at the high schools are nearing obsolescence and the high-intensity discharge fixtures are becoming difficult and costly to maintain due to limited replacement parts and declining manufacturer support. Coordinating these replacements now aligns with planned track replacement projects at both stadiums, allowing the work to be completed more efficiently and avoiding the need to damage newly installed tracks later, according to the agenda.

• Consider a one-year extension of existing contracts with Beautiful Music Violin Shop in the amount of $20,000, Wind Instrument Connections in the amount of $37,400, and Meyer Music totaling $49,300 for the maintenance and repair of band and orchestra instruments. The extension would cover the period from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027, in a total amount not to exceed $106,700.

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.