The Lawrence school board on Monday will hear an annual report on Native American Student Services. Also, for the fourth meeting in a row, there will be no general public comment.
There was not yet a report attached to the agenda as of Friday afternoon, but the board will hear from Kevin Harrell, executive director of student services, and David Farve, NASS coordinator, according to the agenda.
NASS is funded through federal grants that partially fulfill treaty obligations the federal government has to American Indian and Alaska Native people, according to the agenda.
NASS currently serves 348 Lawrence Public Schools students who represent more than 73 tribal affiliations, and the American Indian/Alaska Native student population makes up around 8% of the district’s enrollment, according to the agenda item.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
“Since 1972, the Native American Student Services program has provided educational opportunities and support for American Indian/Alaska Native children in the Lawrence Public Schools,” according to the agenda item. “The goal of NASS is to enhance and support the student’s overall growth and development through cultural and academic programs for students and families.”
No general public comment again
For the fourth meeting in a row, there will be no general public comment period. The board has not heard in-person public comment since Nov. 17.
Please support
The Lawrence Times!
Subscribe here.
Board President GR Gordon-Ross said via email Friday that he, Board Vice President Bob Byers and Superintendent Jeanice Swift determine agenda items “on a meeting by meeting basis.”
He did not directly answer why there was no general public comment on the last few agendas or whether the board anticipates that public comment will return.
Gordon-Ross said the board welcomes and invites anyone who wishes to communicate with the board as a whole to reach out via email at schoolboard@usd497.org.
Other business
• Calendars: The board will also consider voting on the district’s 2026-27 and 2027-28 calendars, which they deferred at their previous meeting to give staff time to look into adding another paid holiday.
It was not immediately clear from the agenda item as of Friday afternoon whether the calendar committee was able to make Indigenous Peoples Day a paid holiday for staff, as board members had requested during their last meeting.
• Executive session: The board will conclude the meeting with a 30-minute executive session, or closed-door meeting, to evaluate Swift as superintendent, according to the agenda item. No action is set to follow.
Meeting info
The board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9 at district offices, 110 McDonald Drive.
Meetings are open to the public, livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@USD497, and broadcast on Midco channel 26.
See the full meeting agenda at this link. See ways to contact the school board at lawrencekstimes.com/contact-usd497bd.
If local news matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat — get the latest news from the Times delivered to your inbox:
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
Latest Lawrence news:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
