September 7, 2021 at 6:00 PM - Special Meeting

1. Call to Order

2. Invocation and Pledge to Flag

3. Public Forum - The board reserves the right to limit the amount of time any one speaker can speak.

4. Items of Unfinished Business

4.A. Consider/Action on Request to Approve the Contingency Attorney Fee Contract with Lubel Voyles, LLP and The Canady Law Firm to Represent WISD Concerning the Fire Damaged Administration Building Insurance Claim

• The reason Winnsboro ISD needs to pursue this matter is because the district’s administration building and all its contents were destroyed in a fire and the risk insurer will not pay to rebuild the building.  The school district needs to retain counsel to pursue legal remedies to obtain insurance proceeds to rebuild the administration building.  The school districts expects the attorneys will be successful in obtaining insurance proceeds from the risk carrier.
• The attorneys selected by Winnsboro ISD (school district) to pursue this matter came highly recommended based off of their experience of successfully representing other school districts throughout Texas in the past.  The attorneys have over a combined forty-five years of practicing law in the State of Texas and representing policy holders throughout the United States over the years.  The attorneys have a successful history of representing school districts and recovering insurance proceeds that were previously denied.

• The attorneys Winnsboro ISD desires to retain were recommended to the school district by the adjusters that had been assisting the school district with its fire claim.  Despite the efforts by the adjusters, the risk carrier would not pay to replace the building that was destroyed by the fire.  The school district representatives met with the attorneys and decided retaining the attorneys would be in the best interest of the school district.
• The attorneys and supporting personnel that generally handle legal issues for the school district do not have the experience of handling insurance and risk carrier disputes and the school districts strongly believes attorney’s with experience and that specialize in insurance matters would better represent the interest of the school district.
• The school district believes retaining attorneys on a contingent fee arraignment is better for the school district because this type of arrangement does not bind the school district financially nor require the school district to a retainer up front nor require the school district to cover expenses during the litigation or at all if the attorneys are not successful in obtaining a recovery for the school district.  There is a possibility the litigation could be expensive and the school district would not be obligated to fund the litigation up front on a contingent fee agreement.
• Entering into a contingent fee agreement would not obligate the residents of the political subdivision to fund the litigation, which is in the best interest of the residents of the political subdivision.  The litigation could be expensive and time consuming and the school district and the residents of the political subdivision would be better served using resources in other areas of concern.

5. Personnel

5.A. Consider/Action on Employment of Jeff Graham - WMIS

6. Closed Executive Session, Pursuant to:

• Texas Government Code 551.0821, discussion of a matter regarding a student or that would reveal personally identifiable information of a student, including pending litigation, Student vs. Winnsboro Independent School District, Texas Education Agency Docket No. 190-SE-0521.
• Texas Government Code 551.071, consultation with attorney regarding pending litigation, Student vs. Winnsboro Independent School District, Texas Education Agency Docket No. 190-SE-0521.

7. Items of New Business

7.A. Consider/Action Regarding the Pending Litigation, Student vs. Winnsboro Independent School District, Texas Education Agency Docket No. 190-SE-0521.

8. Adjournment