Labor representatives question district legal-services agreement and hourly rates

During public comment, an ACTA representative raised concerns about a legal-services agreement with Perry & Villarreal LLP that was included in the consent agenda. The speaker recited the firm’s posted hourly ranges — partner rates in the low-to-mid $300s, special-counsel rates up to $475 per hour, paralegal and law-clerk rates lower — and asked whether retaining outside counsel at those costs draws resources away from recruiting and retaining special-education staff.

District staff and Dr. Hedegaard responded that the firm has provided long-standing special-education counsel to the district; the rates were described as competitive for specialized special-education legal work and the contract as an annual update rather than an immediate cost driver. "These are competitive rates in regards to just an hourly cost of obtaining special education legal counsel," Dr. Hedegaard said, adding that legal engagement is used sparingly and often as a protective measure when families engage counsel.

Superintendent and cabinet members emphasized the district's efforts to minimize outside legal spend through local dispute-resolution options and stronger family engagement, and said the contract provides the district discretion to call counsel only when necessary. Trustees voted as part of the consent agenda to approve the consent items that included the legal-services agreement; no separate vote authorizing additional expenditure was recorded.