2025-26 Needs Assessment Report | Board Meeting Clip | May 11, 2026

The Lawrence Public Schools Board meeting on May 11, 2026, focused on the 2025-26 Needs Assessment Report, which is integral to informing budgetary decisions for the district. The assessment gathered input from building leaders and staff to identify barriers to student proficiency on state assessments, such as staffing shortages, chronic absenteeism, and access to interventions. Key budget-related discussion points included the need for increased staffing and compensation, coaching for instructional improvement, and enhanced mental health and support services. The board discussed the timeline for seeing improvements, ranging from one to two years for immediate investments to five to ten years for deeper systemic changes like expanding preschool access. The meeting also addressed the impact of recent changes in state assessment cut scores on data interpretation. The board plans to draft a formal response to the needs assessment feedback to guide future budget and resource allocation decisions.