The Lawrence school board on Monday approved some capital project bids and received updates on state legislation that could impact schools in the district. 

The board approved items as part of the consent agenda, including Free State press box renovations at the outdoor athletic field, middle school theater updates and preschool playground equipment for Prairie Park and Deerfield elementary schools. 

Board member Shannon Kimball provided an update on state legislation, including the cellphone ban bill, which passed in the House and will move to the Senate for further discussion.

The current bill would require phones to be turned off or locked and stowed away, which Kimball said aligns with current district policy.

Kimball also said a bill related to the shortfall in state funding for special education is significant because the lack of funding for special education impacts all students.

Kimball said with only a 65% excess cost funded next year, around $1,000 would be cut off the base aid for every student in the state.

Kimball said there was still time to influence the conversation and encouraged board members to reach out to lawmakers. 

The bill requiring people to use the bathroom that aligns with their sex assigned at birth, which Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed but was overridden by the Legislature, will go into effect in government buildings Thursday, barring any last-minute court filings.

Kimball said no actions had been filed as of Monday afternoon, but many people think it will go to court.

Superintendent Jeanice Swift said during her report that schools will continue to support students and families who may be facing “heightened anxiety” amid events that have occurred in the past week. 

“We want to offer our reassurance that we will continue to work together to ensure that our schools are safe, that our students and families feel supported, and students benefit from secure and safe and supportive learning environments,” Swift said. 

The board did not move forward with authorizing administration “to enter into a settlement for a mediation claim of $50,000 to be paid by contingency funds” after a motion from Kimball to exclude the agenda item from voting. 

There were no new business items or reports. The meeting is the fifth meeting in a row with no public comment period on the agenda. The board has not heard in-person public comment since Nov. 17.

Maya Smith, (she/her), reporting correspondent, has been with The Lawrence Times since February 2026. She was born and raised in Lawrence and is a journalism student at the University of Kansas. She works at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications as a communications assistant and has been a freelance reporter for the Kansas Reflector since 2024.

Latest Lawrence news:

MORE …