It’s 6 a.m., and Macio Palacio is up for breakfast. He’s going into class early to work on his art project, a drawing of a phoenix for his little brother, who’s named Phoenix.Palacio’s got a full schedule: art, integrated science, Spanish, civics, Algebra II and English. After school, ...

With the legislative clock winding down, work on the state budget halted Friday as House and Senate leaders announced an impasse.House Republicans, who hold a 92-33 majority, blamed Republicans in the Senate, while Senate Republicans, who hold a 32-8 majority, blamed Republicans in the ...

Topeka ? The Topeka school district will close three elementary schools at the end of this academic year, with one more to close after next year.The school board voted Thursday night to close Quinton Heights, Lundgren and Linn elementary schools. School officials say the closings will save the ...

A few news items and notes regarding schools in the area:Three incoming members of the Lawrence Business Hall of Fame weren’t necessarily born as financial gurus, or community servants, or visionary employers.Teachers helped them strive for success, and the laureates in the hall’s 2011 ...

Lawrence’s biggest elementary school is about to get a new principal.Monday night, members of the Lawrence school board will consider approving the hiring of G. Keith Wilson as principal of the Lawrence Virtual School, which serves students statewide from the former Centennial School, 2145 ...

Kansas University Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little talked Thursday about her experiences growing up under segregation, and becoming the first female and first black faculty member in her department at a university that she was ineligible to attend as a student coming out of high ...

Here are some news items and notes regarding schools in the area:The Lawrence Education Association is about to welcome a new leader.Deena Burnett, a language arts teacher at West Junior High School, has been elected to be president of the union, which has about 600 members and represents the ...

Members of the Lawrence school board don’t intend to boost class sizes districtwide, or to cut entire sports programs, or to eliminate jobs for guidance counselors, school nurses or attendance secretaries.At least not yet.As plans for next year’s Lawrence school district budget take shape, ...

Negotiators for the Lawrence Education Association requesting some additional benefits Wednesday for the Lawrence school district’s licensed educators during the coming year.The union, which represents more than 900 educators, formally asked that the district:• Waive standard fees for ...

Frank Harwood, chief operations officer for the Lawrence school district, is one of five finalists for a superintendent’s job in Nebraska.Harwood is set to interview next week with officials from the Bellevue school district in Bellevue, an Omaha suburb where Harwood’s wife, Jamie, ...

Here are some news items and notes regarding schools in the area:Brandi Turner soon will be headed to New York City with one of her favorite teachers.Turner, who is librarian at Perry Elementary School, will be slated to fly to the Big Apple with none other than Leslie Campbell, who had been ...

Two students from Lawrence are among 2,500 students to be designated nationally as Merit Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.The winners from Lawrence:• Alex Chen-Yu Kong, of Free State High School, whose probable career field is pharmacy.• David Lawrence, of Bishop Seabury ...

Students, parents, alumni, staffers and anyone else connected with West Junior High School’s past, present or future are invited to the school’s 50th anniversary celebration this Saturday.The celebration will include an open house, tours, displays and punch and cake from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. ...

Rick Doll, superintendent of the Lawrence school district, is taking applications from folks looking to become at-large members of the Central and East Lawrence Elementary School Consolidation Working Group.Applications to join the 27-member group are due at district headquarters by May 20 to ...

Two educators in the Lawrence school district are winners of awards from the Lawrence Schools Foundation, presented last month during the annual Foundation Follies:Denise Johnson, who teaches second grade at Hillcrest School, is the foundation’s Elementary Educator of the Year. “Denise has ...

Back on that terrible day in September 2001, things sure were different for the students in Matt Frost’s civics class: The twin towers were coming down, black smoke billowed from the Pentagon, and a plane had crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside.“I remember my parents freaking out — ...

Topeka ? Two attempts by several House Republicans on Monday to make deeper cuts to the state budget were rejected by a group of Democrats and other Republicans. “The governor has continued to say, ‘make cuts, make cuts,’ and that is what I’m attempting to do,” said Rep. Owen Donohoe, ...

Instead of my usual roundup of school matters, events and other news items, here's a compilation of comments from a talk I had last week with Bob Byers, a member of the Lawrence school board. I figure folks may find such insights interesting, especially as board members and others continue to ...

Topeka ? Conservative Republicans on Friday sought more cuts to schools, social services and prisons.The proposal — crafted by House Appropriations Committee members Anthony Brown of Eudora, Owen Donohoe of Shawnee and Kasha Kelley of Arkansas City — would slice another $138 million from a ...

A few education-oriented items from around the area and elsewhere:This weekend is the 50th anniversary celebration for the opening of Wakarusa Valley School, which is closing at the end of the school year.The anniversary celebration is set for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the school, 1104 E. 1000 ...