Lakeland board votes to solicit statewide bids for legal counsel after concerns about responsiveness

The Lakeland Joint School District board voted to advertise for legal-services proposals statewide after trustees said the district lacks a current signed legal-services agreement and expressed concerns about responsiveness and potential conflicts.

Board members discussed that the district was operating with legal opinions and documents from prior years but did not have a current signed contract. Trustees and staff described two regular contacts for legal advice: Megan O'Dowd, who board members said has been responsive and handles many contracts and education-law matters, and Amy White, who provides coverage through the district's insurance carrier and is used for higher-liability or personnel/litigation matters. Trustees cited differences in hourly rates and availability: Amy White was described during discussion as more expensive and harder to reach than other counsel.

The board debated whether to keep a single district attorney or to ensure separate counsel is available when conflicts arise. Trustees said they had difficulty getting in-person time with the current counsel and that, in the past, the district had more frequent direct contact with outside counsel. After members said they received few or no responses to a December 2023 request for proposals, a trustee moved to re-advertise for legal services on a broader, statewide basis. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board did not adopt a new contract at the meeting. Staff said the solicitation process is straightforward and can be broadened beyond local newspapers and the district website. The board's next steps are to publish the request for proposals and return to the board with any responses and recommended engagement terms.

The motion to advertise for legal services was approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the minutes.