School committee votes to reopen request for qualifications for district legal counsel after heated public debate

The Chariho School Committee voted on March 11 to reconsider a rewritten request for qualifications (RFQ) for the district’s legal services after members said the item deserved another look. The motion to reconsider passed after public testimony that strongly defended current legal counsel John Anderson and warned the district would likely face higher costs and lose institutional knowledge if it replaced him.

Discussion at the meeting disclosed concern from members and members of the public that soliciting new legal bids could increase legal spending. Multiple speakers — including former school committee members, current and former educators, and parents — praised Mr. Anderson’s work for the district over many years and urged the committee not to replace him. A number of participants said that a transition to a new firm could increase outside‑counsel costs by a large margin and introduce legal risk during a period when the district is managing a school closure and contract negotiations.

Member Larry Phelps brought the reconsideration back to the agenda in shortened form; members discussed including a fee‑structure clause that would limit any winning bid to a fee profile comparable to the district’s current arrangement. The committee approved the motion to reconsider; the record shows one abstention on the vote. The committee asked staff to prepare a concise RFQ and to include explicit criteria for fee structure so the district’s exposure to higher legal fees would be limited if the district seeks competitive proposals.

The vote does not immediately change current counsel arrangements. Legal counsel John Anderson remained at the table during the discussion; the committee instructed administration to prepare any revised RFQ language and to return the item for official action at a later meeting.