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District budget on hold, but salary package OK'd
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
The Lawrence school board on Monday mulled the district's 2005-06 budget, advancing slowly as members wait for the Kansas Supreme Court to rule on the state finance plan.

Schools seeking swift resolution on state funding
Monday, May 9, 2005
Memo from schools to Kansas Supreme Court: Please hurry. "When you stand out here with your pants down, you get cold," Lawrence school Supt. Randy Weseman said.

Cautious optimism for '05-'06 budget
Thursday, May 5, 2005
After years of slashing expenses, Lawrence school officials are voicing some optimism about the district's budget.

Local school budget faces uncertainty
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
(Updated Wednesday at 3:47 p.m.) In an environment filled with uncertainty, the Lawrence school board today began its first formal budget talks.

Pay raise for city's teachers likely
Thursday, April 21, 2005
It's looking like Lawrence teachers will get a slight pay raise this year after all.

School district commits to pay raises for senior teachers
Thursday, April 7, 2005
School district officials agreed Wednesday to find an additional $60,000 in next year's budget to underwrite a $300 raise this year for teachers who've taught for more than 25 years.

District teachers say salary negotiations nearing impasse
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Lawrence teachers on Wednesday warned school district officials that negotiations between the two camps appeared headed for impasse.

Teachers, board seek common ground
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Lawrence teachers on Wednesday said they thought there was enough money in the school district's budget to cover a modest pay raise this year. School board members said there wasn't.

School board forum touts bond issues
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Two multimillion dollar bond issues to improve school district technology and upgrade outmoded facilities are essential if Lawrence schools are going to keep up with education needs, bond supporters said Tuesday night.

Many factors tie up teachers' pay raise
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
It doesn't make sense. Schools districts all across the state scraped together enough cash last year to give their teachers some kind of raise in pay. But in ever-prosperous Lawrence, teachers were told the school district's cupboard was bare.

Higher pay luring teachers away
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Greener pastures. That's where some Lawrence public school teachers have been going.

Referee counts new outdoor fields as goal
Monday, November 8, 2004
Lawrence and Free State High schools' soccer fields often are the target of ridicule by rival players and their parents, according to a longtime referee.

Bond issue discussions to gear up in district
Sunday, October 10, 2004
A keen eye toward planning in the past is putting the Lawrence school district in good standing, financially speaking, to propose a bond issue, financial advisers say.

School board members set budget for 2004-05
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Lawrence school district officials won't spend more than $96.9 million during the 2004-2005 school year.

District's budget takes another step toward adoption
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Lawrence school board members unanimously approved publishing a $96.9 million overall budget for the 2004-2005 school year.

Budget woes color every facet of school life
Monday, July 12, 2004
Sam Rabiola remembers school funding in the 1990s. There were tough times, said Rabiola, an English teacher for the Lawrence school district and president of the Lawrence Education Assn., which represents the city's teachers.

Schools Foundation receives its second $10,000 pledge
Thursday, June 10, 2004
John Davidson wasn't about to be outdone by his childhood next-door neighbor. After seeing news of a $10,000 donation from Srinija Srinivasan to the Lawrence Schools Foundation in a Journal-World story last week, Davidson decided he'd pitch in $10,000 of his own.

Funding cut for low-income students
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
The federal government is poised to cut $4.4 million in funds for poor Kansas children even as the number of such children is skyrocketing. The decrease in Title I funds, designed to provide extra reading and math instruction to schools in poor areas, reflects new population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Kansas is one of 11 states that will see decreases next school year, according to preliminary figures.

District classified salaries face overhaul after study
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Sharon Hull has been a paraprofessional for Lawrence schools for 20 years, and she recently saw her salary break $11 an hour. She loves her job, but she would have to find a better-paying job -- as she's seen many others do -- if her husband weren't the main breadwinner for her family.

Free use of schools may end
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Cubmaster Rick Werner had a simple response to the idea that Cub Scout Pack 3370 could be charged a fee to meet at Deerfield School.

Music, sports programs spared
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Nearly 100 people packed the Lawrence school board meeting room Monday to support student programs such as music and athletics that had been on the chopping block. As it turned out, their pleas weren't necessary. Before the public was given a chance to speak, board members ruled out cutting sixth-grade band and orchestra and athletics, including subvarsity coaching positions and golf and gymnastics programs, cuts that had been proposed by administrators.

Popular programs face school budget ax
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Cammie Braden has seen positive changes in her eighth-grade son since he started playing trumpet two years ago. He is more socially active, enjoys school more and is getting better grades. Braden said she wants her fourth-grade son to have the same opportunities when he hits sixth grade. But that might not be possible. The sixth-grade band and orchestra program is one of many programs the Lawrence school board will consider eliminating during its meeting Monday.

Budget committee prioritizes cuts
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
A committee studying next year's budget for Lawrence Public Schools has made its recommendations for how to cover an estimated $740,000 shortfall in the district's budget. The recommendations -- which include eliminating 26 subvarsity coaching positions, several custodial positions and several administrative jobs -- will be considered by the school board on March 29.

District reluctant to cut extracurricular favorites
Tuesday, March 9, 2004
It could become a vicious cycle. Declining enrollment is forcing the Lawrence school district to cut its budget for the upcoming year. And school officials fear the programs that are cut will cause even more families to leave the district.

'Painful' budget cuts in store for school board
Sunday, March 7, 2004
Here they go again. After three years of often-painful negotiations that cut $5.1 million from the budget, the Lawrence school board will meet Monday to begin considering cuts for the upcoming academic year. Many of the proposed cuts -- including sports programs at the high schools and sixth-grade band and orchestra -- narrowly escaped the chopping block in previous years.

School sales tax bill passage unlikely
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
State senators today are expected to consider a bill that would allow Douglas County residents to vote on a sales tax increase for public schools. Not even the bill's sponsor is expecting the legislation to pass.

District may have to choose between pay raises, smaller classes
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
It may come down to a choice. Either Lawrence teachers will get pay raises next year, or elementary schools can keep smaller class sizes.

Eudora officials want in on school-finance sales tax
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
School officials don't like the idea of boosting Douglas County sales taxes to help finance their operations, but there's still another prospect they favor even less. Lawrence could boost its own sales tax, for the sole use of the Lawrence school district.

District makes plans to cut $2 million from budget
Wednesday, February 4, 2004
The Lawrence school district's budget committee Tuesday got a glimpse of what it could mean to slice a minimum of $2 million from next year's budget.

6News video: New school board members to address budget cuts
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
This will be the first year new school board members Rich Minder, Cindy Yulich and Leonard Ortiz will have a chance to make the decisions on what to cut from the district's budget. 6News reporter Sharita Hutton talks with each member as they weigh in with their ideas on how to balance the state's budget requirements with student needs.

District plans for $1.5 million in cuts
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
The Lawrence school board agreed Monday to plan for $1.5 million to $2 million in spending cuts to create a "survive-and-advance" budget for next school year.

Forum panelists denounce sales tax for education
Thursday, January 8, 2004
Boosting Douglas County's sales tax to bolster funding for cash-strapped school districts is an incomplete and inadequate solution, members of a panel said Wednesday. The five-member panel organized by the League of Women Voters of Douglas County was unanimous in opposing a proposed half-cent increase in the county's sales tax. If adopted, it would bring in an estimated $5.8 million annually for schools serving Douglas County children.

New bond issue may be waiting in wings
Saturday, January 3, 2004
Lawrence school district officials will begin discussing late this spring a new bond issue to finance building improvements, Supt. Randy Weseman said Friday. He said he expected the process to produce a package less costly and complicated than the $59 million proposal rejected by voters in April 2003. That plan included construction or renovation at 15 schools and was mingled with debate about elementary school consolidation.

Sebelius backs off funding shift for public schools
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius believes legislators should reconsider giving school districts extra money based on the size of their enrollment, but she is stopping short of proposing to shift money from rural to urban schools.

Legislators seek Supreme Court relief
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Some legislators are counting on the Kansas Supreme Court to rescue them from a judge's suggestion the state's schools need as much as $1 billion more annually, and that the state should radically redistribute the money it already spends.

Appeal of school ruling rejected
Saturday, December 20, 2003
A judge Friday rejected a request from state education officials to allow them to appeal his finding that the school finance system is unconstitutional. "JUST GO FIX IT!" Shawnee County District Judge Terry Bullock wrote in his order, which included a stinging rebuke of legal and political attempts to get around his ruling.

Judge rejects attempt to appeal school finance order
Friday, December 19, 2003
(Updated Friday at 3:22 p.m.) A judge Friday slapped down an attempt by the State Board of Education to appeal his decision that the school finance system was unconstitional. "JUST GO FIX IT!" Shawnee County District Court Judge Terry Bullock wrote in his order.

Attorney general delays appeal of school-finance ruling
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
On the eve of a court deadline, state officials Monday maneuvered legally and politically around a judge's order that declared the state school-finance system unconstitutional.

Sebelius urges legislative action on school finance
Sunday, December 14, 2003
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is warning that Kansas courts could take over the state's public schools if she and the Legislature fail to adopt a school-finance plan in the upcoming legislative session.

Unfunded mandate challenges schools
Tuesday, December 9, 2003
The Lawrence school district needs $1.6 million to meet a state mandate that annual student assessments in reading and math be taken on a computer, officials said Monday. "We're going to have to find the resources to get this done," Supt. Randy Weseman told the school board. "There is no option."

Modest judge; forceful ruling
Sunday, December 7, 2003
Shawnee County District Judge Terry Bullock doesn't carry himself like the most important man in Kansas government. Friendly, polite and engaging, Bullock, 64, lives with a pet cat and enjoys singing holiday songs with a local group. But last week, Bullock caught the attention of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and the Kansas Legislature with an order that was the equivalent of hitting them with a two-by-four between the eyes.

Lawsuit alleges discrimination
Sunday, December 7, 2003
The lawsuit at the center of Judge Terry Bullock's ruling that the school-finance system in Kansas is unconstitutional originally was filed in 1999 on behalf of students, parents and administrators in two mid-sized districts, Dodge City and Salina.

Judge could stop funds to schools
Friday, December 5, 2003
A judge who declared the public school finance system unconstitutional could try to close the schools down, an attorney representing the Kansas State Board of Education said Thursday. Attorney Dan Biles told a legislative committee that Shawnee County District Judge Terry Bullock's order didn't specify what he would do if the Legislature and governor failed to correct the finance system. But one possible action, Biles said, is that Bullock could try to prevent the allocation of funds to schools, "in effect shutting down the public schools."

State schools report short on solutions
Friday, December 5, 2003
After months of work and a series of public hearings attended by hundreds of Kansans, an education task force appointed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has produced a one-page list of recommendations and no ideas on how to accomplish those suggestions. The major recommendation of the "Education First" report calls on the state to fully fund the state's school-finance formula. But the report does not define what that means, how much it would cost or where the money would come from.

School ruling could cost state $1 billion
Wednesday, December 3, 2003
In a historic ruling sure to vex the governor and lawmakers in the coming legislative session, a judge Tuesday declared the Kansas school-finance system unconstitutional and gave lawmakers until July 1 to fix it.

Area school officials praise ruling
Wednesday, December 3, 2003
Lawrence-area school officials hailed a judge's order Tuesday directing state lawmakers to create a constitutional system for financing public schools. But they are not optimistic legislators will meet the political and budgetary challenges of approving a new formula in 2004.

6News video: Judge throws out state school finance law
Wednesday, December 3, 2003
A judge in Topeka has ruled that the state has until July to remedy constitutional problems in the school finance law.

Judge gives Legislature deadline to fix school finance law
Tuesday, December 2, 2003
(Updated Monday at 3:37 p.m.) and, in particular, how the distribution pertains to closing the achievement gap.

School sales tax faces opposition
Sunday, November 30, 2003
Lawrence businessman Shlomo Ginsburg said he's ready to hit the "no sale" button on a proposed sales tax for public schools in Douglas County.

District delays budget cut plans
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
By this time of year, Lawrence school district staff usually are deep into gut-wrenching negotiations to prepare for budget cuts. Not this time.

County to review possibility of half-cent sales tax for schools
Wednesday, November 5, 2003
If public schools in Douglas County are going to reap the benefits of a new countywide sales tax, the levy first must be approved by the Kansas Legislature and county voters.

Sebelius to offer school-finance plan
Tuesday, November 4, 2003
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius promised Monday the courtroom would not be the only place school finance policy would be aired in coming months.

School funding in crisis, Ortiz says
Friday, October 31, 2003
Lawrence school board member Leonard Ortiz said Thursday the financial crisis in public education -- exacerbated by mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind law -- should stir people to action.

Sales tax vote sought
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Undaunted by skepticism about chances of voters approving a sales tax for education, the Lawrence school board Monday agreed to help seek a half-cent increase to benefit public schools serving all Douglas County students. The decision came after a two-hour study session that brought together three dozen people with either a political or economic stake in the issue.

Task force to suggest full funding of state's school finance formula
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
By the end of the month, a task force appointed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will recommend that she fully fund the state's school finance formula, a proposal that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Publisher, superintendent weigh in on school funding
Friday, October 10, 2003
Former Gov. Bill Graves frittered away his opportunity to lead the charge for better state funding of public schools, the editor and publisher of the Journal-World said Thursday. Dolph C. Simons Jr. said in a speech to 250 people at the Lawrence Schools Foundation's community breakfast that Graves "blew it" for public schools in his second term.

Lawmakers study formula Kansas uses to finance schools
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Twenty-one legislators began a School Finance 101 lesson Tuesday in hopes of learning more about how Kansas distributes $2.6 billion to public schools.

Analysis: School finance fix won't be quick deal
Monday, October 6, 2003
Legislators are more likely to ask "why?" than "how high?" if a judge orders them to jump up and fix the way the state pays for education.

Sebelius vague on school finance
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
Public school advocates have their fingers crossed that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will call for significant new spending on education when the Legislature convenes in January. "I feel hopeful that she is going to come out with a proposal to increase base state aid," said Kathy Cook, co-founder of Kansas Families United for Public Education and a member of Sebelius' education task force.

City may go alone on school tax
Thursday, September 25, 2003
The Lawrence school board is backing away from a plan to seek a half-cent, countywide sales tax increase to be divvied up among all the county's school districts. Instead, board members are considering a city-only sales tax increase with all proceeds going to the Lawrence district.

6News video: School board prepares city sales tax
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Lawrence School Board officials are preparing a proposal for a half-cent city-wide sales tax. State legislators have voiced their disapproval of a county-wide sales tax to assist schools in Douglas County. The Lawrence tax may be on the ballot in November.

School finance lawsuit trial begins
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
A Salina school official suggested Monday the state would not close the performance gap between white and minority students because it didn't spend enough money on its public schools.

Court tackles state funding formula
Sunday, September 21, 2003
After years of legal maneuvering, Kansas' system of funding public schools goes on trial Monday.

Sebelius promises schools support
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius told northeast Kansas educators on Wednesday she was prepared to advocate for increased education spending in the 2004 legislative session.
"I'll be one to lead the charge," she said. "We need more resources for education -- no question about it."

School financing trial attorneys meet with judge
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
A trial challenging the state's $2.6 billion school finance system will probably take less than two weeks, attorneys in the case said Monday.

Board member revisits Centennial decision
Tuesday, September 9, 2003
Discussion of major repairs to Lawrence school buildings prompted a board member Monday to urge reconsideration of the closure of Centennial School.

District can't put off repairs
Monday, September 8, 2003
The Lawrence school district is cobbling together $2 million to address immediate facility problems at its schools. Some projects on the hit list -- plumbing at West Junior High School, air conditioning at Lawrence High School, exterior walls at Central Junior High School -- can't wait a couple years for the next public referendum on a bond issue, which is the district's preferred method of financing major repairs to public school buildings.

Plan unveiled to ‘sell' school funding
Thursday, August 14, 2003
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' education policy team is calling for an increase in spending on schools in order to improve early childhood learning, help students who are having difficulties and increase access to higher education. The team's preliminary report was outlined Wednesday by Sylvia Robinson, who is Sebelius' director of education policy.

Ortiz questions value of trips
Monday, August 4, 2003
Lawrence school board member Leonard Ortiz said he enjoys tickling his toes in the ocean as much as anyone. But the newcomer to the board said it would be foolish for the district to spend $1,500 to $2,000 on registration, airfare and a hotel stay to send him to education conferences in San Francisco or Orlando, Fla., given back-to-back years of teacher layoffs and multimillion-dollar budget cuts in the Lawrence public school district.

School mill levy may drop next year
Saturday, July 5, 2003
For the second straight year, the Lawrence School District's piece of the local property tax pie is expected to shrink. While increases are forecast from both city and county officials, the property tax mill levy for Lawrence public schools is expected to decline, Supt. Randy Weseman said this week.

6News video: Mill levy will be reduced
Friday, July 4, 2003
Superintendent Randy Weseman hopes that the next year's budget will allow the reduction in the mill levy.

Will schools sell out?
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Nike track team? Pepsi cheerleading squad? Barnes & Noble library collection? Cindy Yulich, who takes a seat Tuesday on the Lawrence school board, said corporate sponsorships ought to be considered as a way to avert future budget cuts in the district's after-school activities.

State, schools not on same page on reading
Monday, June 23, 2003
Lawrence school officials are on board with a state education official's call for improving student reading skills through all-day kindergartens and increased teacher training.

Coaching jobs spared at schools for time being
Friday, June 20, 2003
Nearly four dozen coaching jobs at Lawrence secondary schools are safe -- for now. Consensus is emerging on the school board to target $1.7 million in budget cuts from a possible $3.9 million in a priority list developed during the past year.

Board expected to approve district raises
Sunday, June 15, 2003
Supt. Randy Weseman says all Lawrence school district employees can expect the school board Monday to approve a 3.5 percent increase in compensation next school year.

City supports assisting schools
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
Lawrence city commissioners appeared ready Tuesday to pay the $1.4 million price tag of sports programs in the school district.

District, teachers reach accord
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
Lawrence school board and teachers union negotiators Tuesday settled on a one-year contract with a 3.5 percent increase in salary and benefits.

Teachers decline to begin salary talks with district
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Lawrence teachers Wednesday declined to exchange salary offers with the school board.

Teachers, staff lash out on layoffs
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Lawrence teachers who received layoff notices are blue, and they want everybody in the city to know it. On Tuesday, pink-slipped teachers Bria Klotz and Lisa Rush joined Lawrence Education Assn. leaders to initiate the "Band Together" campaign to encourage folks to wear blue lapel ribbons and blue armbands to express solidarity with educators.

Education Board laments cuts in school budgets
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Without comment, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed into law a bill delaying the state's June payment to public schools as education officials complained Tuesday about what she and the Legislature failed to do for schoolchildren this year.

6News video: Lawrence teachers want to fight for jobs
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
6News reports on a press conference held Tuesday night by Lawrence educators.

City grapples with budget issues
Wednesday, May 7, 2003
If City Hall were to pick up the annual tab for the Lawrence School District's sports programs, it would be a hefty $1.4 million, according to estimates made public Tuesday.

County delays school funds vote
Thursday, May 1, 2003
Charles Jones is convinced that a majority of Douglas County residents will support paying more property taxes to help finance public schools.

School board approves staff layoffs
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
The Lawrence school board didn't play favorites Monday when handing out pink slips to certified educators.

6News video: Board votes to cut 66 positions
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
6News reports on Monday nights Lawrence school board meeting.

Budget cuts to slash teachers rolls tonight
Monday, April 28, 2003
Joyce Gibson, Robert Eales and Melissa Sears don't have to be at the Lawrence school board meeting tonight to sense the human cost of budget cutting.

County mulls aiding school budget
Thursday, April 24, 2003
The Lawrence school district needs to cut $3 million before the next school year, and Douglas County commissioners say they are willing to consider helping to heal the financial wounds.

School board prioritizes budget cuts
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
The point of the Lawrence school board's budget-cutting knife will nick students and staff throughout the district. The board has a prioritized list of $4 million in potential cuts to balance the 2003-2004 budget. But before decisions are made about those 82 cost-saving options, the board wants to hear from the public.

List of proposed cuts in the Lawrence school budget for 2003-2004
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
The following are proposed cuts under consideration by the Lawrence school board related to the 2003-2004 budget.

Services, contracts, programs on district's hit list
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Here are proposed cuts under consideration by the Lawrence school board related to the 2003-2004 budget.

Costly insurance adds to district woes
Thursday, April 10, 2003
The Lawrence school district's tradition of offering to pay individual health insurance policies for eligible employees will cost $916,000 more next school year, officials said Wednesday. A projected 19 percent increase in medical and dental rates comes at a bad time for the cash-strapped district.

6News video: Four day school week is considered
Thursday, April 10, 2003
The school disctrict believes that cutting a single day from the school week may result in budget savings.

Health insurance hike main topic of teacher talks
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
(Updated Wednesday at 12:18 p.m.) Negotiators working on a new contract for Lawrence teachers today will get a big dose of reality regarding health insurance costs.

Budget-balancing cuts sent to board
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
The Lawrence school district's budget committee couldn't choose Tuesday between eliminating sixth-grade band or dropping art, music and gym instruction for kindergartners.

6News video: Budget committee to continue searching for cuts
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
6News reports on Tuesday nights budget committe meeting.

School board candidate survey
Sunday, March 30, 2003

AG joins school finance debate
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Atty. Gen. Phill Kline is going to court to defend the state's school finance laws and the right of counties to use sales tax revenue to assist school districts.
Kline said Wednesday his office would seek to intervene in a lawsuit by Wyandotte County school officials against the Johnson County Commission.

Chat with Lawrence school board candidate Cindy Yulich
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Welcome to our online chat with <strong>Lawrence school board candidate Cindy Yulich</strong>.The chat took place on Thursday, March 27, at 10:30 AM and is <strong>now closed</strong>, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Chat with Lawrence school board candidate Sue Morgan
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
Welcome to our online chat with Lawrence school board candidate Sue Morgan.The chat took place on Wednesday, March 26, at 4:00 PM and is now closed, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Chat with Lawrence school board incumbent Mary Loveland
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Welcome to our online chat with Lawrence school board incumbent Mary Loveland. The chat took place on Tuesday, March 25, at 6:00 PM and is now closed, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Chat with Lawrence school board candidate Leonard Ortiz
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Welcome to our online chat with Lawrence school board candidate Leonard Ortiz. The chat took place on Tuesday, March 25, at 9:30 AM and is now closed, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Chat with Lawrence school board candidate Rich Minder
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Welcome to our online chat with Lawrence school board candidate Rich Minder. The chat took place on Tuesday, March 25, at 4:00 PM and is now closed, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Chat with Cille King
Thursday, March 20, 2003

6News video: Discussions get heated at budget meeting
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
6News reports on Monday nights school budget meeting.

School cuts likely at top
Friday, March 7, 2003
A bull's-eye was firmly affixed Thursday to administrative spending in the Lawrence school district. The public school system's budget committee made clear that if deep cuts must occur in 2003-2004, the central office is a prime target.

6News video: The Lawrence school district needs to cut $4.5 million dollars
Friday, March 7, 2003
The school board will decide what should or should not be cut on Monday, March 10th.

Free State student works to prevent cuts
Tuesday, March 4, 2003
She's not even old enough to vote, but one Free State High School senior is hoping she can help the Lawrence school district solve its $4.5 million budget shortfall.

Bill proposes tax flexibility for schools
Thursday, February 27, 2003
School districts would have more flexibility to cover certain costs with money raised specifically for buildings and equipment under a bill approved Wednesday by the Senate.

Budget committee considers list of cuts
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
It would have been cruel Tuesday to force the Lawrence school district's budget committee to make snap judgments about $5.8 million in proposed spending cuts.

6News video: School board member sends strong message
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
6News reports on Monday nights school board meeting.

6News video: Students protest class cut
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
6News reprts on the protest being staged by Free State High students after learning their sign language class could be cut due to the budget shortfall.

Board member: Bond failure won't stop school closures
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Rejection of the Lawrence school board's $59 million bond issue in April won't block elementary school consolidation, the school board's vice president said Monday.

Panel OKs $2.3 billion schools budget
Friday, February 21, 2003
A budget that allocates $2.3 billion in state revenue to elementary and secondary education received a committee's endorsement Thursday.

Bill seeks personal finance classes for K-12
Thursday, February 20, 2003
It doesn't seem right to Mikel Miller that Kansas students are required to take a class in physical education before they can graduate but they aren't required to take a course in personal finance.
A new bill in the Kansas Legislature would change that.

Cuts on the table
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
No art, music and gym for kindergartners. No sixth-grade band and orchestra. No junior high wrestling and cheerleading nor high school golf and gymnastics. No pay for coaches and sponsors of just about every sport and extracurricular activity.

6News video: Board hears suggestions on cuts
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
6News reports on Tuesday nights Budget Committee meeting.

School programs again face cuts
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Layoffs, bigger classes at secondary schools and elimination of elementary school band are among the budget-cutting ideas expected to be presented today as Lawrence schools look for ways to reduce spending.

Bond opponents question district's Web site content
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Opponents of the Lawrence school board's $59 million bond issue don't think the district is playing fair.

6News video: More cuts to hit Lawrence schools
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
6News reports on the newest round of discussion on cuts to be made in the Lawrence school district.

6News video: Morgan shares thoughts in online chat
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
6News reports on the online chat with School Board President Scott Morgan that was hosted by World Online.

District art teachers stretched thin
Monday, February 10, 2003
Woodlawn School sixth-grader Scotty Thellman says 30 minutes isn't enough time to sink his fingers into art class.

'Serious discussion' urged as bond vote nears
Wednesday, February 5, 2003
Advance voting starts today, and campaigning for the Lawrence school board and a $59 million school bond issue is moving into high gear.

Student activity fee auction nets $60,000
Tuesday, February 4, 2003
The tally from a fund-raising event for Lawrence public school students is as sweet as notes pouring from a flute and as impressive as a spiral touchdown pass on the football field.

6News video: Students to get help with pay-to-play
Tuesday, February 4, 2003
6News reports on the fund drive held by Citizens for Students to help with the pay-to-play fees.

Even Barbie can pitch in for student fees at auction
Friday, January 31, 2003
Need a mint condition "schoolteacher" Barbie? How about a ticket to the Kansas-Missouri basketball grudge match?

Davidson opts out of board race
Saturday, January 11, 2003
Jack Davidson, a voice of dissent on the proposed $59 million bond issue for Lawrence schools, said Friday he wouldn't seek re-election to the school board.

District will review ‘sacred cows' next
Wednesday, January 8, 2003
Reaching the Lawrence school board's budget-cutting target of $4.5 million will be as challenging as hitting a dartboard blindfolded.

6News video: School board warns of more budget cuts
Wednesday, January 8, 2003
6News reports on Tuesday night's Lawrence school board meeting.

6News video: Lawrence women asking for donations to help with pay-to-play
Saturday, December 28, 2002
6News reports on two Lawrence women who are seeking donations to help underprivelaged students pay for after school sports in the pay-to-play program.

Consultant could collect $3.9 million
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
The Lawrence school district’s facility consultant could earn as much as $3.9 million if voters approve a $59 million bond issue for school construction.

6News video: School board closer to deciding fate of Riverside students
Tuesday, December 3, 2002
6News reports on Monday night's school board meeting.

Time ripe to borrow for schools, experts say
Sunday, November 17, 2002
This may be the best time since John F. Kennedy occupied the White House to borrow millions of dollars to upgrade Lawrence school buildings.

Bond issue spending likely cut, Weseman says
Sunday, November 17, 2002
Supt. Randy Weseman said the Lawrence school board would probably trim bond-issue spending proposals to less than $63.3 million.

5% raises in district unlikely in '03 - '04
Friday, November 8, 2002
Lawrence school district employees shouldn’t expect another 5 percent increase in salary and benefits in 2003-2004, the school board president says. But the leader of the Lawrence teachers union said Thursday that he wasn’t ready to give up on another good pay raise.

Increasing costs strain budget
Sunday, November 3, 2002
The Lawrence school district is being hit with steep increases in fixed costs even as the state is cutting financial support of public schools.

Lawmaker predicts hard road for schools
Thursday, October 31, 2002
With the general election less than a week away, few state representatives are bad-mouthing public schools.
That's to be expected.

6News video: DLR presents the school board with a price tag
Thursday, October 10, 2002
The total price tag comes to over $100 million. Also, parents in the Riverside area are using the World Wide Web to voice their concerns.

Budget crisis deepens
Thursday, May 2, 2002
By Dave Ranney

Cottonwood Inc. is having a hard time keeping its workers.
"Our turnover in the past year has been somewhere between 80 and 90 percent," said Kara Walters, director of residential services at Cottonwood, Douglas County's program for developmentally disabled adults.
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Payment to schools cut; layoffs possible
Thursday, May 2, 2002
By Scott Rothschild

Gov. Bill Graves on Wednesday cut in half a payment to public schools, warned that state employee layoffs and furloughs may be needed and announced another decline in anticipated tax receipts.
Opening the overtime session of the Legislature, Graves called on legislators to put disagreements aside and pass a tax increase to help bridge a budget gap that has grown to $750 million and will probably continue to get wider.
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Tab keeps rising for school funding
Thursday, May 2, 2002
A tax increase of more than $400 million would be required to provide more funding for education and other government services, a key legislator said Wednesday.

Sixty-five teachers lose jobs
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

Sixty-five educators fell in the Monday Night Massacre. The Lawrence school board unanimously adopted a resolution that set in motion elimination of jobs for 65 educators.

Non-renewed teachers
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
The following is the list of 65 teachers who were notified Monday that their contracts will not be renewed.

6News video report: 65 staff members won't have job to return to after summer
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
6News reports on cuts made by the Lawrence School Board.

Budget committee helps to determine cuts
Wednesday, April 3, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

It may one day be known as "The Committee," such is the influence in its grasp. The 20 volunteers on the Lawrence school district's budget development and program evaluation committee embarked in 2000 on an unprecedented analysis of the district's budget.

Superintendent: Schools face cuts with any budget
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
By Matt Merkel-Hess

Even if state funding stays the same, the Lawrence school district will have to make cuts to accommodate the increased cost of health care, property insurance and salary increases.

6News video report: More budget cuts possible
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
Trish Ayers reports on deepening budget cuts for Lawrence public schools.

Public outcry delays budget decisions
Tuesday, March 12, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

Three hours of heart-wrenching personal testimony from dozens of students, parents and teachers Monday left in shambles the Lawrence school board's plan to select major budget cuts and fee increases.

6News video report: Community voices concerns on budget cuts
Tuesday, March 12, 2002
Trish Ayers reports on the Monday night School Board meeting to discuss the proposed budget cuts.

Students greet budget plan with chorus of disapproval
Monday, March 11, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

Instrumental music students plan to greet Lawrence school board members tonight at a decisive budget meeting with deafening notes of alarm: Don't cut sixth-grade orchestra and band programs.

Coaches concerned about budget cuts
Tuesday, March 5, 2002
By Steve Rottinghaus

Slashing sophomore sports would cut to the core of their programs, city high school coaches say.
And if pay-to-play keeps those sophomore programs afloat, the coaches reluctantly would accept that alternative.

Student survey weighs in on school budget
Friday, March 1, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

Lawrence school students have their own ideas how state policymakers should best cut education spending. Although lawmakers have shown no appetite this year for consolidating the state's 304 public school districts, a survey of 350 Lawrence residents — many of them students— shows most think that should be the first step legislators take.

List of $3.2 million in school budget cuts, fee increases
Tuesday, February 26, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

The Lawrence school board is concentrating on development of proposals that reduce spending or raise revenue in the district for the 2002-2003 budget year.
Supt. Randy Weseman is urging the school board to create a blueprint that provides $5 million for reallocation to teacher salaries and benefits as well as top-priority programs. His motivation is a feeling that the 2002 Legislature won't increase, and may deeply reduce, state funding to public school districts.

6News video report: School district comes up with millions of dollars in possible budget cuts
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
Trish Ayers reports on the proposed cuts and money saving ideas the Lawrence school board came up with during a Tuesday meeting.

School board to study budget cuts
Tuesday, February 19, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

The Lawrence school board is poised for major budget surgery. Today its members will take a good, hard look at the patient and perhaps decide whether they will need a scalpel or a chain saw to get the job done.

6News video report: Budget cuts sure to be controversial
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Tim Carpenter reports on proposed secondary school budget cuts.

6News Video Report: The Lawrence school board considers ways to survive budget crunch
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Trish Ayers reports that among other proposals, the school board is debating a pay-to-ride bus system.

Budget cuts could double
Thursday, January 24, 2002
By Tim Carpenter

Lawrence Supt. Randy Weseman said Wednesday that the district's budget nightmare might be twice as scary as previously thought. He said plans must be made to cut as much as $5 million of the district's $85.8 million budget. That would cover possible reductions in state aid to schools and free up money for operating cost increases, including employee salary raises.

6News video report: Despite budget cuts Superintendent will try to recruit qualified staff
Wednesday, January 9, 2002
Trish Ayers reports on a local forum held to demonstrate the effect state budget cuts would have on the Lawrence school district.