Board approves $6.8 million transportation contract with Durham School Services

District explores self-funded health insurance to offset multimillion-dollar premium hikes

Woodlawn Elementary slated for $85,000 solar project

District adopts $1.16 million English language arts curriculum

Tornado warnings force cancellation of Lawrence High School's 'Showtime'

Board approves $6.8 million transportation contract with Durham School Services

LAWRENCE, Kan. — A three-year transportation agreement with Durham School Services was approved during the meeting. According to district documents, the contract is valued at $6.8 million. Administrators stated the district is transitioning away from its previous provider to cut costs and enhance technology. To find efficiencies in a challenging budget climate, administrators noted the district will now purchase its own bulk fuel, reduce eight bus routes and utilize the district's facilities building as a bus barn instead of leasing outside space. The proposed new fleet is expected to feature air conditioning, driver-monitoring artificial intelligence cameras and a bus-tracking mobile app allowing parents to follow their child's bus location in real time.

District explores self-funded health insurance to offset multimillion-dollar premium hikes

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Faced with a projected $4.5 million increase in health insurance premiums for the upcoming year, district administrators announced a shift toward a self-funded insurance model. Under the proposed new structure, the district will hire a third-party administrator to process claims and purchase stop-loss coverage to cap maximum expenditures, rather than paying a flat monthly premium to a traditional insurer. Administrators said the transition will save money and help fund employee wage increases during ongoing contract negotiations with certified teachers and classified support staff, with no expected changes to coverage plans or out-of-pocket expenses for district employees.

Woodlawn Elementary slated for $85,000 solar project

LAWRENCE, Kan. — An agreement with Brightergy Solar to install a solar energy project at Woodlawn Elementary School was passed as part of the consent agenda. According to district planning documents, the contract is valued at $85,947, which includes an additional 10 percent contingency budget. Administrators and meeting attendees discussed collaborating to explore ways to integrate the new solar infrastructure into the school's environmental science curriculum.

District adopts $1.16 million English language arts curriculum

LAWRENCE, Kan. — A purchase of the Amplify English language arts curriculum for kindergarten through eighth grade was approved. District documents outline the purchase at $1.16 million. According to a presentation by district administrators, the curriculum change was prompted by concerns over stagnant reading scores and equity gaps. The new program, funded through the district's textbook revolving fund, shifts early literacy instruction toward a structured, phonics-based approach aligned with the science of reading. A companion $140,900 purchase from the Title II budget for job-embedded professional development to train educators on the new materials was also approved.

Tornado warnings force cancellation of Lawrence High School's 'Showtime'

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Severe weather disrupted Lawrence High School's annual "Showtime" performance Thursday night, forcing attendees and performers to take cover in designated tornado shelters for 45 minutes. Though organizers attempted to resume the event after the first warning expired, a second warning shortly before intermission prompted administrators to cancel the remainder of the performance. The school had publicly scheduled "Choral-Showtime" performances in late April.

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