The Lawrence school district on Friday announced plans to open the former Centennial Elementary School for a small high school program, and to expand Langston Hughes Elementary with additional classrooms.
Both are anticipated to open in August 2026, pending school board approval, according to a district news release.
Centennial, at 2145 Louisiana St., closed to elementary students in May 2003.
The high school program will aim to offer nontraditional students a choice of a self-paced learning environment, according to the release.
“The Choice Campus at Centennial program will feature both day and evening opportunities to achieve accelerated and credit recovery learning, serving students who desire a different approach to high school, for both full and part-time enrollment,” according to the release.
Enrollment over capacity has been an issue at Langston Hughes Elementary, 1101 George Williams Way, for years, according to the release.
“To accommodate current and future enrollment, we will expand the building with the addition of classrooms, and provide more space in common areas,” according to the release.
It did not specify how many classrooms or what grade levels they’d be used for.
“We look forward to engaging with our Lawrence Public Schools students, staff, parents and community over the coming months as we refine these plans for both campuses, and we will continue to share regular updates through the coming months,” according to the release.
The costs will be within the district’s approved 2025-26 budget, according to the release. Other capital outlay projects, such as high school tracks, will continue to move forward as well, according to the release.
The projects are on the Lawrence school board’s agenda for its next meeting, which is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 110 McDonald Drive. It was rescheduled from the board’s typical fourth Monday meeting.
Meetings are open to the public, livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@USD497, and broadcast on Midco channel 26. Full meeting agendas are available on BoardDocs, via go.boarddocs.com.
To give public comment, sign up by noon the day of the meeting by emailing PublicComment@usd497.org. Commenters may request to participate by Webex video/phone conferencing.
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