Delays, fees could hit $400,000 years ago
A court battle to protect its $6.625 million bond victory could cost USD 410 as much as $400,000 in project delays and legal fees, superintendent Gordon Mohn told the board of education Monday.
"The legal fees could be $50,000, and if the bonds are delayed for a year, you can add five percent for increased building costs, so it could cost $300,000 to $400,000," he said.
Since the district has no contingency funds for court fights, money will be taken from other sources, and, ultimately, the school students themselves.
"We'll have use money out of reserves and that kind of thing, but it will take money from the education process, because it's a budget amount we hadn't planned to spend," Mohn said.
"Yes, it will have an impact on kids. Anytime we have to spend money on something that's not educational, it has an impact."
The nightmare of a lawsuit shadowed the board meeting Monday, but it wasn't sufficient reason to alter the agenda.
The bond project proceeded according to plan. The board instructed the bond attorney to begin to put together bid requests for the sale of the bonds; the architect was told to continue project designs in advance of putting them out for bid; and the board decided on the type of management the projects will have.
To prepare for the legal fight, the district has no attorney on retainer. The board was to meet Tuesday to interview a high-powered lawyer from Wichita to take on the attorney hired to represent Raymond Brandt.
Brandt's attorney is Susan R. Schrag, from the law firm of Morris, Laing, Evans, Brock and Kennedy, in Wichita.
Morris Laing, one of the most prestigious law firms in Wichita, has known for being effective, and expensive.
"I've been told they're the most expensive lawyers in town," Mohn said.
Information on the Morris Laing web lists the firm's recent victories, including a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, which "
The consensus of the voting public is a mandate to spend money fighting for the bond projects, Mohn said.
"We're talking about tens of thousands of dollars," he said. "We could do the opposite and not fight it and not win.
"But I think the board believes the public has spoken its will on this matter and they want us to do it. I'm fairly confident that in the end we'll prevail."
