Board discusses switching to K–12‑specialized legal firm but delays action
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Summary
Trustees discussed an RFP recommendation to replace the district’s long‑standing counsel with a firm specializing in K–12 law; members asked for more detail on rates, training costs and transition planning and did not take immediate action.
Leavenworth board members spent part of the Feb. 9 meeting discussing a recommendation from an RFP and interview committee to engage a law firm that specializes in K–12 education law.
Dr. Helen Adams introduced the RFP process, said firms in the Kansas City area were invited to respond and that an interview committee recommended a firm with a K–12 focus. Board members asked why the recommendation was not more prominent in the materials and sought specifics about hourly rates and whether training offered by the proposed firm would be free or billed. The district confirmed pricing and training details were included in the proposal materials but that trustees had not had time to review every line; one trustee said BoardDocs access problems over the weekend limited review time.
Current counsel (identified in the discussion as Robert Hingula and referenced firms ‘Polzinelli/Polsonelli’ in the meeting transcript) responded on the record, noting past work for the district and offering transitional assistance if the board chose to hire an alternate firm. Trustees expressed concern about losing institutional knowledge and asked administration for additional documentation before a formal action.
No motion to change counsel was adopted at the Feb. 9 meeting; trustees left the item for further discussion and indicated they might take action at or prior to the July 1 selection window but emphasized they were not required to wait until that date to change counsel.
Next steps: administration agreed to provide clearer rate tables and to return the item for future board consideration after trustees have had time to review the full proposals.