Upgrades for Lawrence schools!

The Lawrence school district is proposing to spend $5 million on several capital projects beginning in the summer should the propositions to spend the money be approved by eligible district votes on May 16, when voting takes place on the proposed 2023-2024 school budget and Board of Education candidates.

A roof is planned for Lawrence High School, along with upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, classroom improvements and renovations to the athletic wing, including to the school’s NCAA-sized gymnasium, which includes AC and new lockers.

Lawrence Middle School will also see improvements, including library, classroom renovations, cafeteria upgrades, locker replacements, gymnasium renovations, boiler replacements, and a new equipment storage facility.

The new projects come as the ongoing $5 million capital project from 2022-23 continues at the Broadway Campus. A Herald reporter took a tour of the construction and the completed renovations with district officials on April 19.

The project began three years ago when schools first shut down due to the Covid pandemic in March 2020.

The work continued through the district’s variations of remote and in-person learning and is now being done after school hours.

The school district is also in the final stages of securing a Federal Emergency Management Agency award, which is anticipated to be over $50 million.

The money is considered rebuilding money, which the district believes it is entitled to as a result of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The award is expected within the year and construction will start shortly thereafter.

Murray Forman, the president of Lawrence’s Board of Education described the upcoming projects as a ground-up renovation.

“What will come out of the process is basically a brand-new building,” he said.

Once the FEMA money is received the board has plans to implement several renovations to the high school through a 5-year plan which will include new turf fields, new heating ventilation for the new boilers and new air conditioning.

In addition a flood wall around the entire property will be built to stem flooding. There will also be new lighting installed, drainage, a backup power supply and additional renovations of the gym and music suite, and new HVAC for all classrooms.

The high school projects are scheduled to get under way this summer. After the renovations at the Broadway Campus building saw old restrooms and locker rooms completely upgraded, school officials are excited for work to begin at the high school.

“It’s going to be a whole different, very nice experience that will be different than people in lots of different schools,” said Asher Mansdorf, the board’s vice president. “They’re going to be educated in air-conditioned spaces all the way through. There are kids who are on the Broadway campus that will have their entire Lawrence experience in a brand-new building.”