MORRIS TWINS’ FACES SAY IT ALL: A STUNNING LOSS TO K-STATE
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TUESDAY • FEBRUARY 15 • 2011
School task force members stuck on the fence
HOMELESSNESS
Dismissal of suit a setback for shelter By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
ADELINE UNEKIS, CENTER, a third-grader at Pinckney School, attaches ribbons to the fence in front of Pinckney while classmate Evelyne Heironimus-Bishop, right, chases down a wind-blown ribbon Monday. Youngsters wrote on the ribbons what they loved about their school and attached them next to the “We Love Pinckney” banners in front of the school building at 810 W. Sixth St.
Consensus for elementary closings elusive two schools should be closed, saying that money saved could be pumped back into programs that could do the most for providing effective education districtwide. Others said that closing two schools would be too much, putting too much pressure on remaining schools and eroding support for a future bond issue — one that would be expected to address renovations, additions and construction projects that all task force members acknowledge as necessary. The group will meet again at 5:30 p.m. Monday at district headquarters, 110 McDonald
By Mark Fagan mfagan@ljworld.com
Members of the Lawrence Elementary School Facility Vision Task Force failed to reach a consensus Monday night on whether to recommend closing one or two elementary schools next year, opting instead to decide that issue next week. Task force members spent the majority of their 90-minute meeting discussing whether they had enough support to recommend closure of two of these three schools: Cordley, Pinckney or Wakarusa Valley. Some members said that
Drive, in an attempt to reach consensus, the group’s stated plan since its appointment in May to create a “community vision” for elementaries amidst fiscal restraints. Whether the task force will be able to come up with a plan that generates enough support from among its two dozen members remains to be seen. “Ultimately, we need to have a vote,” said Steve Glass, a task force member, as about 50 observers — principals, school board members, board candidates, parents and others — looked on. “That’s the only way we’re going to be able to see what consensus is.”
Task force members did aff irm their consensus reached tentatively two weeks ago on a longer-term approach, one that would consolidating four schools into two within three to five years: Kennedy and New York, as well as Hillcrest and Sunset Hill.
Future bond issue Making those changes, along with financing upgrades to all remaining elementaries districtwide, would require passage of a bond issue. And that prospect came up during Please see CONSENSUS, page 2A
City exploring glass recycling program for residents By Chad Lawhorn clawhorn@ljworld.com
Lawrence City Hall leaders are in discussions with a Kansas City-based company to start a new glass recycling program for residents. City commissioners at their meeting today will hear details of a proposal from Ripple Glass to add four new glass collections bins for residents to use around the city. “I think it is a great idea,” said City Commissioner Aron Cromwell. “The easier we can make a recycling program, the more it will be used. That is guaranteed.” Currently, the Wal-Mart Community Recycling Center and
the 12th and Haskell Bargain Center accept glass for recycling, but Cromwell said he thinks more glass would be recycled if there were Cromwell drop-off locations closer to people’s homes. The city hasn’t yet determined where the new drop off locations would be. “We would look at a map and try to distribute them throughout the city,” Cromwell said. Added convenience, though, would come with some added costs. The city is estimating there would be about $30,000 in
But the city thinks the project can eventually pay for itself. The city estimates if 100 tons of glass per month could be recycled rather than put into a landfill, the city would save about $2,300 per month in landfill fees. Commissioners are expected to consider the Ripple proposal as part of any changes that a cityappointed trash task force may recommend this spring. — City reporter Chad Lawhorn can be reached at 832-6362. Follow him at Twitter.com/clawhorn_ljw.
● New task force to consider
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Senate budget bill retains funding for special education By Scott Rothschild srothschild@ljworld.com
T O P E K A — The Kansas Senate on Monday advanced a budget bill that would cut general state aid to schools but would add $25.3 million in the current fiscal year for special education funding to avoid losing federal aid. An amendment to strip out the special education funding and keep the bill in line with a proposal by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback failed, 16-23. The vote was seen by some as a test of Brownback’s pull in the Senate. LEGISLATURE “We have a governor who wants to work with us,” said Sen. Susan Wagle, RWichita, who voted to take out the special education funding. Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Andover, said, “It’s irresponsible at this point to add spending to a completely moving target.” But others argued that the federal government was threatening to withhold from $21 million to $26 million in special education funding if the state didn’t meet the federal government’s required “maintenance of effort” in school finance. The state has already suffered a $2 million annual penalty from the federal government, said Sen. Jean Kurtis Schodorf, R-Wichita. And other senators said school districts needed
major changes to trash and recycling programs. Page 8A
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start-up costs, including four collection bins, and construction of an outdoor “bunker” that could serve as an area to store large amounts of glass until it could be transported to Ripple’s facility in Kansas City. The key part of the deal is that Ripple would pay to transport the glass from Lawrence to Kansas City. Ripple operates a Kansas City plant that uses the glass for manufacturing fiberglass insulation. The city would transport the glass from the four bins to the bunker area, which would hold up to 35 tons of glass. The city estimates it would have about $600 in monthly costs to empty the bins and take them to the bunker area.
The Lawrence Community Shelter’s efforts to relocate to an industrial park near the Douglas County Jail have been dealt a legal setback. Douglas County District Judge Sally Pokorny on Monday afternoon dismissed a lawsuit that shelter officials had hoped would clear the way for the shelter to move from downtown to a vacant warehouse at 3701 Franklin Park Circle. At issue in the case was whether long-standing, private covenants prohibited a homeless shelter from operating in the industrial park. Pokorny did not rule directly on that issue, but Henderson rather said the shelter did not have the proper legal standing to bring the case forward. The ruling left unclear what would happen to the shelter’s plans to move from 10th and Kentucky streets in downtown. Shelter Director Loring Henderson declined to comment on the ruling or the
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