Lawrence warns some families to allow more time for first day of school

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) - Summer is over for students who attend the Lawrence School District.

Some students returned to classrooms Wednesday while everyone in the Lawrence Public School District will be in class Thursday.

This year is a little different for some families. The district voted to close Broken Arrow Elementary and Pickney Elementary at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

Students in those schools are now attending new buildings.

Some students will also have a little more difficulty that normal getting to and from school for the near future.

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The City of Lawrence warns there is currently construction on 9th Street. Crews expect to open the street to one lane of traffic from Iowa Street to Emery Road on Aug. 24. Parents dropping students off at Hillcrest Elementary School should use the new carpool route provided by the school during construction.

Students walking or biking to Hillcrest are instructed to approach from the south and use Yale, Harvard, Iowa, or the west side of Highland from 9th Street to Harvard.

The school district warns that there will not be crossing guards outside Hillcrest Thursday morning because the positions have not yet been filled.

Families who normally use Inverness Drive to get to school should also plan some extra time in the morning because of construction.

The road construction project isn’t expected to be completed until October. Crews plan to open one single-lane of traffic on Inverness Drive from Clinton Parkway to 27th Street next week.

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Anyone walking or biking to Sunflower Elementary or Southwest Middle Schools is asked to use the east side of Inverness. Students will be allowed to cross over Inverness Drive by using the roundabout. A crossing guard will be in place at Inverness Drive and Sunflower Park Place.

Students coming to school from 27th Street should use the crosswalk between Inverness Court and Wildflower Drive.

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