During a work session Tuesday, members of the Selma City School Board discussed how they would take care of a pending bill that is past due.

The bill, which was for services offered by STI Achievement Services, is the same bill that led to the firing of former superintendent Dr. Donald Jefferson. School Board officials learned Jefferson had entered into a contract against the board’s wishes. After Jefferson’s termination in October, school officials attempted to cancel the contract they contend was a verbal contract only. STI claims the school system owes them more than $55,000.

“If you all remember, I sent you a letter … about a week or so ago that you all do need to decide in an open meeting how you want to proceed with that bill — if you’re going to pay it, not pay it, negotiate it,” school board attorney Katy Campbell said. “But you can discuss it, and decide at your regular meeting.”

Many of the board members questioned why the company was sending them a bill.

“Someone told them to continue services as our instructors were told, as the people within our school system were told to continue … even though the board had turned this contract down,” board member Holland Powell said.

Campbell said in this particular situation, there is no such thing as a verbal contract.

Board president Henry Hicks Sr., expressed his disapproval with the matter.

“So if there is no contract … but we have an invoice here for $55,000 … somebody gave the verbal contact to make sure we do this,” Hicks said. “I think the board needs to know who it is, so we’ll know whether or not we need to be paying this or not …

“If Dr. Jefferson did this, then we’ll know that Dr. Jefferson needs to pay this, if it’s verbal,” Hicks said. “If he did not do it, then whoever verbalized this … will have to (pay). I know the board voted not to enter into the contract … so somebody called and said ‘this.’ I think the board needs to know who that person was.”

Campbell said the board, which has several options, needs to decide what the next steps will be.

“The board needs to decide what are we going to do about this amount that the company says we owe,” Campbell said. “We know there was no signed contact … however services were delivered between August and Oct. 14. They’re saying this is the amount that is owed between that time.”

Interim superintendent Gerald Shirley, who contacted the company to discontinue services, said he did not make a verbal contract.