The Lawrence school board on Monday approved a contract with a familiar consulting firm to complete enrollment projections and launch an updated online map for the district.

RSP & Associates will build a virtual locator tool that will allow anyone to enter an address and view which elementary, middle and high schools in the district are assigned to the area. The $35,000 contract will be paid from the district’s general fund.

Deputy Superintendent Larry Englebrick said RSP & Associates at this point is a collaborative partner of the district, not just a vendor. The district has a long history contracting with the Overland Park-based firm, which has provided an annual enrollment analysis the past few consecutive years as enrollment has been on the decline.

District and board members on Monday acknowledged a public perception that prior outside consultant hires are a misuse of funds.

“The work completed by RSP exceeds the capability of our current staff, and to hire staff members capable of doing this work would far exceed the annual obligation and budgetary amounts that we provide to RSP for their ongoing consulting work each year,” Englebrick said.

The district will host the web-based tool on its server, and a map will show where that property is situated within district boundaries. A tool currently linked on the district’s website shows search results for elementary schools but not middle and high school boundaries, although maps are available for all levels.

Superintendent Jeanice Swift said the district recently received a message from a local realtor that the tool didn’t fully work, which prompted the need to update it. Additionally, RSP & Associates will provide a five-year enrollment analysis. 

“I look forward to having a reliable tool that folks who move to our town can use. It’s huge,” Swift said. She said RSP’s work helps plan program developments at schools.

RSP & Associates representatives will also be tasked with meeting with City of Lawrence and Douglas County planners to discuss how developments relate to the district.

The item was originally on the consent agenda, a list of business routinely approved in one motion unless a board member or the superintendent pulls an item for discussion. Before the meeting, it was moved to a business item, and the board held a discussion.

The board voted 7-0 to approve the contract.

View information on past work by RSP on a presentation attached to the meeting agenda item on BoardDocs.

In other business

• Member swearing in: At the beginning of Monday’s meeting, newly elected and reelected board members were sworn in to serve on the board until January 2030.

Read more in this article.

• New fund balance policy: The board on Monday also approved a new policy aimed at ensuring fiscal responsibility. The new fund balance policy will require the district to plan so that its budgeted year-end operating cash balance is projected to fall within 12% to 20% of the preceding year’s annual operating expenditures.

Board member Shannon Kimball said the policy is within the range the Kansas State Department of Education recommends. Board member Kelly Jones said Swift’s introduction of the policy is a benefit of hiring a seasoned superintendent.

“I want to just say that this is one of those things that I am particularly proud to be bringing forward, because it creates a more financially stable circumstance for our district and allows us to better plan for things like increases in wages,” Jones said. “So that means that if we wanted to do a two-year projection, we might be able to do that.”

Read the approved policy on the meeting agenda item on BoardDocs.

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.

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