As deficit grew, WCPS paid $125,000 more for legal services than Wayne County, $330,000 more than Goldsboro

Over the first nine months of 2019-20, Wayne County Public Schools paid its out-of-town law firm about $125,000 more than the Wayne County government spent during the same timeframe on the salaries and benefits for its three-person legal team — and more than $330,000 more than the city of Goldsboro.

While the city and county governments are represented by local attorneys, WCPS contracts those services out to Schwartz & Shaw of Raleigh, a firm specializing in education law, which was hired in 2017.

Before the contract was signed, one of the firm’s partners, Richard Schwartz, represented Tyrell County Public Schools, the district former WCPS Superintendent Michael Dunsmore left for the Wayne County job in 2015.

According to Schwartz & Shaw PLLC’s contract with the district, WCPS pays the firm a retainer of $3,000 a month, which covers “the availability of Richard A. Schwartz, Brian C. Shaw, Rachel B. Hitch, or other members of the firm for telephone and office consultation with the Board of Education, the Superintendent, and central office administrative staff.”

The retainer also includes the presence of one of the firm’s attorneys at Board of Education meetings, committee meetings, conferences and staff meetings, up to six half-day “Board/staff development workshops per fiscal year,” board policy review and drafting services.

Additional legal services — from “legal research” and representation at “internal hearings” to consultation and court appearances — would be billed at $170 an hour.

Here is the breakdown of the billings for all three governments, which were released as part of a New Old North records request:

WAYNE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

• July 2019: $49,215.96

• August 2019: $54,379.80

• September 2019: $27,175.96

• October 2019: $66,933.35

• November 2019: $46,774.41

• December 2019: $32,934.49

• January 2020: $39,489.18

• February 2020: $41,359.40

• March 2020: $50,545.64

Total: $408,808.19

WAYNE COUNTY GOVERNMENT:

• July 2019: $42,468

• August 2019: $26,947.16

• September 2019: $26,862.66

• October 2019: $26,919.38

• November 2019: $41,513.58

• December 2019: $26,909.55

• January 2020: $26,868.74

• February 2020: $33,830.70

• March 2020: $22,713.08

Total: $275,032.85

CITY OF GOLDSBORO:

July 2019: $9,445

August 2019: $8,143

September 2019: $7,754

October 2019: $10,219

November 2019: $8,909.50

December 2019: $9,416.30

January 2020: $9,066.65

February 2020: $8,893.90

March 2020: $12,273.85

Total: $74,676.20

Goldsboro is represented by Ron Lawrence of Everett, Womble & Lawrence LLP. The county is represented by Borden Parker of Baddour, Parker, Hine & Hale, but Wayne County also employs a staff attorney and a paralegal.