BBE – School Attorney

Descriptor Code: BBE
School Attorney

School Board Attorney may be retained by the School Board for legal services and will be paid for services rendered.

The School Board Attorney employed by the School Board will provide the legal services and counsel necessary for the successful operation of the School District. In the performance of legal services, the School Board Attorney will receive referrals and request for legal services from School Board members, the Superintendent of Schools and School District employees who may be designated in writing from time-to-time by the Superintendent or the Chair. The School Board Attorney is authorized to discuss school-related matters and handle day-to-day legal business with attorneys representing parties adverse to the School District, attorneys representing other governmental entities and other attorneys representing the School District without express permission. The School Board Attorney will provide counsel and management regarding other attorneys who may be employed from time-to-time by the School District. In matters requiring a major expenditure of time, except in an emergency situation, the School Board Attorney will obtain permission to proceed with services from the Chair, by a majority vote of the School Board at a public meeting or from the Superintendent.

Each School Board member will have the right to contact the School Board Attorney or a member of his/her staff to ask legal questions and seek out advice regarding their public duties. If the question and the answer are in the School Board Attorney’s opinion beneficial to the other School Board members, the School Board Attorney will provide a written response copied to all School Board members and the Superintendent that appropriately frames the question posed and the answer provided. From time-to-time, the School Board Attorney may be required to provide a reasoned legal opinion regarding school-related legal matters. Such requests should be made in writing and only be made by a member of the School Board or the Superintendent.

The School Board Attorney and his/her firm are hired to represent the School District and the School Board as a whole. The School Board Attorney will refrain for providing legal services to further individual School Board Member causes or concerns without at least the concurrence of the Chair or Vice-Chair of the School Board.

The Board Attorney may be asked to attend School Board meetings and other meetings and/or functions where such services may be needed.

ADOPTED: August 2, 2001      REVISED: July 16, 2020