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Pueblo County School District 70 directors clash over administration’s selection of Kaplan & Ernest as district counsel
Summary
At a board meeting, directors and members of the public sharply debated the administration’s decision to engage Kaplan & Ernest and end the district’s use of longtime attorney Brad Miller, with critics saying the change was imposed without full board approval and supporters saying the district needs more timely operational legal support.
At Tuesday’s Pueblo County School District 70 board meeting, several directors and members of the public pressed administration officials over their decision to engage the law firm Kaplan & Ernest in place of long-time counsel Brad Miller.
Director Susie K opened the public portion of the debate, saying the administration had “taken unilateral action to remove district current legal counsel and impose new representation without full board approval,” and warning that the change “represents a shift towards policy frameworks that contain parental rights, limit parental involvement in critical decisions, and transfer authority away from families.” She urged that the appointment be halted and brought before the full board.
Administrators and other directors countered that the district sought broader legal coverage for operational matters — especially truancy and personnel cases — and that delays and inconsistent advice from prior counsel had driven the decision to issue an RFP. Rhonda, identified in meeting discussion as the superintendent, said the district wanted counsel who could provide regular, timely support and help reduce recurring legal costs tied to employee and student matters.
Board members debated three linked questions: whether the administration followed board policy in engaging outside counsel, whether selecting separate counsel for board governance and district operations is workable, and whether Kaplan & Ernest’s litigation history posed a reputational or legal risk. Several directors asked for data on legal-fee breakdowns; administrators said roughly 18% of recent legal fees related to board work while the remainder covered truancy, personnel, student issues and public-records review, and noted the high administrative time required to process public-record requests related to legal matters.
Members of the public also addressed the board. Chris Sutton urged trustees to drop certain policies and criticized legal expenses tied to litigation, saying the district should not “waste another dime” on contentious suits. Another speaker offered a prayer and asked the board for wisdom as it makes decisions.
The meeting record shows the administration moved forward with an engagement letter toward Kaplan & Ernest but did not record a final, board-approved contract during the session. Directors who oppose the choice remained on record requesting fuller transparency and formal board review before any long-term engagement is finalized.
The board did not adopt a final resolution on the counsel question at this meeting; the administration indicated that engagement terms are still an engagement letter and that the board retains options to revisit its counsel arrangements.
