School board to consider legal services policy, honor retiring staff

LACONIA — The Laconia School Board will honor retiring staff, discuss summer learning offerings, weigh security upgrades and vote on a contract with its transportation company at a regular meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m.

In addition to a slew of policy updates, the board will also vote on whether to have its policy committee workshop a legal services policy. The district currently doesn't have one, and the New Hampshire School Boards Association has an "optional" policy about school attorneys — each of the policies it shares with member districts is categorized as either required, recommended or optional.

The NHSBA's policy, named BDG, gives superintendents authority over “routine” legal assistance but states that “when the administration concludes that unusual types or amounts of professional legal service may be required, Board authorization for such service shall be promptly requested.”

Policies are typically referred to the committee at the request of the chair or another member, but in April, the committee — with differing stances on whether it was necessary — opted to refer to a vote of the board on whether it should even have a legal services policy before workshopping one. 

The district has spent just under $70,000 on legal expenses this fiscal year, which began July 1, 2022.