School Committee Meeting November 10, 2026

The Lawrence Public Schools School Committee meeting on November 10, 2026, focused substantially on staff parking near Oliver School and the related city parking contract. Staff described tickets, costs, and uncertainty about access to spaces. The superintendent said the district could not independently contract with the third-party parking vendor and that a proposal involving roughly 60 spaces at a $25 monthly employee rate—about $1,500 per month—would require action by the city; an earlier proposal was described as costing about $30,000 annually. Committee members discussed amending the city’s existing contract and seeking city funding. The committee approved motions directing the superintendent to engage with the city on parking and supporting a request to the city and City Council for funding to alleviate parking costs for affected educators while a longer-term solution is pursued. No parking contract award or final arrangement was made; the superintendent said an update was expected at the December meeting.

The committee also discussed declining enrollment and budget pressures, including a reported decrease of about 349 students and an estimated funding impact of roughly $8 million, along with student achievement goals and renewal of the district’s turnaround plan. For the superintendent search, the district’s solicitation for a search firm had closed the prior week; contract negotiations and selection were still pending, with community input and recruitment planned to continue. No vendor award was approved at this meeting.