Pay for School Attorney:
$295,275 paid to School Attorney for 1 year.
$150,000 additional legal costs.
TOTAL: $445,275 paid for legal services by Douglas County Schools Board
Compare to: $100,000/yr for other metro-Atlanta counties ADDITIONAL $x,xxx,xxx Paid to School Attorney for Bond/SPLOST (Actual amount UNKNOWN because DC School Administration refuse to provide information to School Board Member!) Contract for Ken Bernard, school attorney: · Contract has no provisions outlining what Mr. Bernard’s duties are for the school system. It only covers what is owed to him. · Contract forces school system to pay $147,637 if Mr. Bernard's contract is ever not renewed for another 12 month period. · The only documentation from Mr. Bernard is a monthly invoice for $24,606 stating, "For Services Rendered." · There is no review, no accounting of hours, no accountability at all, except that he not do anything illegal. For this wasted money:
How many teachers can we hire?
How many school supplies can we purchase?
How many programs can we save?
At what point are we sacrificing quality of education, while paying bloated attorney’s fees?
What will the impact be on parents if teachers have to be furlowed?
What changed in 2 weeks between the school’s CFO stating finances were fine when discussing attorney’s fees and now having to raise the millage rate?