SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE

“As the budget remains a challenge, what should be the priorities of the district in order to make Lawrence Public Schools the best school district in the country?” schools from 13 to 11 and aligning secondary and virtual school staffing to current enrollment by reducing positions.

When we asked this question during our community Listening and Learning Tour six years ago, whether talking to students and families, meeting with staff, or listening to community members, we consistently heard one message: improve staff salaries.

Since everything the school district does is important to someone, opinions differ on how to do it. The school board must balance these competing values to meet growing student needs with limited state funding. State mandates, declining enrollment, rising costs, and a global pandemic that contributed to national labor shortages and supply chain issues added to the difficulty of this challenge.

Several board and district committees advise us on these issues. The Budget and Program Evaluation Committee and nine subcommittees made 27 budget proposals in 2021-2022. Upon administrative review and recommendation, the board cut $6.4 million to balance that budget.

This past school year, the board hired RSP and Associates to facilitate a Futures Planning Community Engagement Process. A broad-based committee studied these issues, informed by public surveys and input sessions. To guide this work, the board identified its top financial priorities: provide competitive wages, plan for annual cost increases, and replenish contingency funds to a healthy level.