It appears unlikely that $100,000 more was spent in March. The lawsuit brought last August effectively ended in January, after Coughlin and Bouris declined to appeal a judge's ruling making public the disputed e-mails in the case. The remaining continuing legal costs are connected to arbitration, in which Coughlin is trying to win back his job.

{mosimage} "Until the litigation is settled," Curran said on March 27, "there is not enough credibility for an override." It was unclear whether he was referring to the lawsuit filed in August, and was now ended, which was known before March 27, or the ongoing arbitration.

Curran won reelection to the committee April 5.

At YourArlington's request , the superintendent's office provided the latest account of legal costs. They show:

-- $40,000 was spent on two retainers of $20,000 each for legal representation, apparently by Stoneman Chandler & Miller, the firm representing the administration and School Committee, though the list of costs does not say.

-- $55,500 was spent on legal fees before the dismissals of teacher Chuck Coughlin, on Aug. 9, and Principal Stavroula Bouris, on Aug. 22.

-- $110,560 was spent in a category headed "dismissal related"; those costs were incurred from October through February, and they showed a decline from $45,800 in November to $4,695 in February.

-- $6,715 was spent under the heading "Other (non dismissal related)."

-- zero has been spent to date under the heading "Dismissal related lawsuits."

Coughlin and Bouris lost their jobs after an investigation last summer alleged the forgery of e-mails and an inappropriate relationship conducted on the schools' e-mail system.

The Advocate reported the issue of legal costs on March 6.

Curran has been asked to comment about his estimate of legal costs. He has declined to respond to requests for comment from YourArlington on a number of stories, dating to last summer.

Jack Duranceau, Arlington Education Association president, has been asked to comment about the status of arbitration.