SOS497
“Prior to any further discussion about school closures, we call on the school board to create a procedure for best practices when considering school closures and to adopt this procedure moving forward,” Save Our Schools 497 writes in this column.
August Rudisell/The Lawrence Times
The Lawrence school board is set for a special meeting on Monday to discuss cost-cutting proposals as the district faces a budget shortfall estimated between $3.2 and $3.85 million.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
With school closures off the table for now, Lawrence’s Save Our Schools 497 group is now focused on finding a stopgap to make it through the year, looking at the district’s long-term financial health, and ensuring the community’s involvement in these processes.
Lawrence school district staff members have their work cut out for them: Don’t close any schools, and find $7 million in budget cuts that won’t impact students on a daily basis.
August Rudisell/The Lawrence Times
The Lawrence school board’s Monday meeting will begin with a 90-minute work session on the budget, then proceed to a regular meeting at 7:30 p.m.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Families and friends of Lawrence neighborhood schools gathered for a rally Saturday at South Park to “Celebrate Our Schools.”
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Updated data from the Lawrence school district shows that a plan that includes closing or repurposing five schools would save the district less money than a plan that closes no schools but makes deep cuts to programs.
Molly Adams via Alicia Erickson/Contributed Photo
The Save Our Schools 497 group has hosted community meetings and rallies with more to come soon. But these efforts are just the top layer of organizers’ work, and the enthusiasm shown in these demonstrations is a veneer on top of deep concerns for many families.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
The Lawrence school district shared breakdowns of three cost-cutting options during a meeting Wednesday evening — but some of the data was inaccurate.
August Rudisell / The Lawrence Times
Months of work by Lawrence school district committees has resulted in three cost-saving proposals formulated by district leadership. School closures remain on the table in two options, and significant reductions to staffing and programs in all scenarios would help fill a multimillion-dollar shortfall.
