SJSD board to review legal costs tied to dismissed We The People lawsuit

Skye Pournazarin, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.St. Joseph News-Press

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District plans to provide a fuller accounting of the legal costs and insurance issues connected to the recently dismissed We The People — 3 Schools, Inc. lawsuit and it will discuss it at a Board of Education work session Monday.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at the Troester Media Center, 3401 Renick St.

According to materials prepared for the meeting, because the litigation has been dismissed, it allows the administration to provide a summary of the district’s expenditures in the case.

The district had not yet received its August bill from EdCounsel when the meeting materials were prepared, meaning a final total was not yet available. Administrators said their understanding was that the August bill specifically related to the lawsuit would be $6,980. Once that bill is received, the district plans to compile the total amount spent defending the case.

Insurance will also be part of the discussion. District materials state that some legal expenses may have been offset through the district’s liability insurance program, but any reimbursement for defense costs depends on the terms and conditions of the applicable policy.

The administration also plans to address questions about the referenced $30,000 insurance coverage, although officials said they do not want to speculate about how a coverage limit applies without relying on information from the insurance carrier and policy documents.

District officials similarly said they do not yet know whether the lawsuit will affect future premiums. Insurance rates can be influenced by a number of factors, including claims history, market conditions, changes in coverage and underwriting decisions.

The board will have limits on how far the public discussion can go. Administration and legal counsel have recommended that members avoid discussing attorney-client communications, legal advice, litigation strategy, settlement discussions or communications with insurers concerning the handling of the claim.

The case had been scheduled for a four-day trial in November before the litigation was dismissed.

Board to consider return to electronic voting

The board also will take up its voting procedures Monday, months after a former board member publicly urged the district to return to electronic voting.

The work-session agenda calls for a discussion of electronic board voting, including the technology costs and requirements involved and whether board members are interested in moving forward with implementation.

Former board member Rick Gehring raised the issue during the public comment portion of the board’s July meeting. Gehring said board members previously cast votes electronically on laptops but now generally vote aloud.

He argued that electronic voting allowed members to make their decisions independently before seeing how colleagues had voted.

“Each board member was elected to exercise their own independent judgment,” Gehring said. “I believe the best voting process is one where every member makes their decision without knowing how the others have voted. … a process that protects the independence of every vote.”

Current district policy requires votes in open session to be conducted in a way that allows the public to observe how each member votes and allows the board secretary to accurately record votes for, against or abstaining. The policy also allows the board to use roll-call voting in open session.

The policy does not prohibit a technological system for casting votes, provided the public can still determine how individual members voted and the votes can be properly recorded.

Other News

Short-term financing: The district will discuss using a Tax Anticipation Note, a short-term loan intended to cover expenses in October and November before most local property tax revenue arrives in December and January. Administration plans to bring a resolution authorizing the note to the board at its September meeting.

2027 graduations: The board will review an agreement with the city to use Civic Arena for Benton and Central high school graduation ceremonies on May 23, 2027. Benton’s ceremony is scheduled for noon, followed by Central at 5 p.m.

District convocation: The district also is considering an agreement to use Civic Arena for its annual employee convocation Aug. 20, 2027. The event brings district staff together before the start of the school year to discuss priorities and preparations.

Teacher preparation partnership: The district is entering into a new memorandum of understanding with Central Methodist University’s education program that would allow university students to observe and learn from qualified district staff as part of their coursework.

Board officer elections: Board members also will discuss formally adopting a procedure for electing board officers and whether there is enough support to develop a procedure for future board action.