Three law firms, including the one it currently uses, responded to Lehighton Area School District’s recent request for proposals for solicitor services.

The three respondents included Sweet, Stevens, Katz and Williams; Filer & Schwab; and King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul. Lehighton’s current agreement with Filer & Schwab expires on June 30.

At a district finance committee meeting Monday night, Business Administrator Edward Rarick outlined the proposals.

Sweet, Stevens, Katz and Williams listed its hourly rates at $160/hour for attorneys and $125/hour for legal assistants. Nonroutine matters would be billed at $195/hour for attorneys and $125/hour for legal assistants.

“They made a note that their rates have remained unchanged for seven years,” Rarick said. “They have 23 attorneys who have collectively represented close to 300 school districts and entities.”

Neighboring Palmerton Area School District is among the area districts that employ the firm.

Filer & Schwab have, through either attorney Eric Filer or William Schwab, represented the district for decades. The firm’s fee proposal submitted to the district calls for $165/hour for an attorney and $75/hour for a paralegal.

King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul, which the district currently uses for special education and several other nonroutine matters, listed an annual fee of $15,000 for 2021-22. The annual fee would cover routing services. For other matters, the firm’s $160/hour rate would kick in.

“With King, Spry you could engage them either way,” Rarick said. “You can contract with them hourly, or utilize the yearly fee for basic services. If you used the annual fee for basic services, the hourly rate would come into play for anything outside the normal services. The most typical items outside normal services are anything under litigation, district courts, and arbitration matters.”

According to Rarick, the district has spent $39,374 with Filer & Schwab, and $45,205.73 with King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul so far in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

“I would be checking with other districts who these firms worked for previously and find out how happy they were with the services provided and what they were charged,” Lehighton resident Barbara Bowes said during Monday’s meeting.

Walter Zlomsowitch suggested the district reach out to the firm used by Jim Thorpe Area School District, which is the Beard Legal Group out of Altoona.

“We can certainly reach out to other firms,” Rarick said Monday. “This is a large expense and you want to make sure you make an educated choice.”