A consultant will provide a Lawrence school district committee with more data to assist its high school boundary proposals before two upcoming public input meetings.
The board on Monday unanimously approved up to $45,000 to be paid to RSP & Associates.
The Boundary Advisory Committee is charged this fall with making a recommendation with the goal of balancing enrollment more evenly between the two high schools.
Projections show with current boundaries that Free State will continue having more students enrolled than Lawrence High, and the difference has the potential to eventually move Lawrence High to a 5A classification. (Read more in the articles linked below.)
During their meeting Wednesday, BAC members decided they’d need more data from RSP & Associates before presenting their ideas to the community. The committee is currently considering three map concepts that move students around: an L-shaped map, a feeder schools map and a grade-level map.
RSP will project the impact each option would have on population growth, the capacity demand at each high school, and enrollment if potential new boundaries are phased in. The company will also provide an analysis of the public input meetings, where community members are invited to offer feedback and ask questions.
Board member Anne Costello, who also serves on the BAC, said she appreciates her fellow committee members, who have volunteered their time and efforts.
“The reason for bringing in RSP is that the data that we have now, we don’t feel, gives us the best, most accurate portrayal of future enrollment, and that’s where we need some help from RSP,” Costello said. “And the committee does not want to go to these public input meetings with glaring, obvious issues that people can point out. We want to provide the best, most clear picture for them and then truly get their feedback on that.”
RSP over recent years has provided information to assist the district and the BAC, including five-year projections. Previously, RSP staff have facilitated BAC meetings, but feedback led the board to decide the company would have a smaller role this fall — still providing data, but not facilitating meetings.
Deputy Superintendent Larry Englebrick told the board Monday that RSP will still not facilitate meetings but will begin working on analyses this week. Englebrick said he has a meeting set up with the company this Wednesday.
BAC members during their previous meeting agreed their work may require more time to work with potential new data, and board member Shannon Kimball said Monday that she was concerned about the quick turnaround expected of RSP. Englebrick said for now, the committee’s tentative timeline is still on track but that the district will provide updates if things change.
The up to $45,000 approved for RSP will be pulled from the district’s general fund.
Public input meetings on the to-be-determined high school boundary recommendation are set for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 13 and 14 at Free State and Lawrence High, respectively.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
More coverage: Boundary Advisory Committee
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August Rudisell/Lawrence TimesLawrence school board approves up to $45K for consultant to assist committee’s high school boundary work
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