BENTONVILLE -- The School Board on Monday continued discussing a proposed conduct policy for certified personnel and agreed to revisit the policy at a meeting next week, despite one board member's objection.

The policy demands certified personnel conduct themselves at all times in a way that will "reflect credit upon themselves and the (School) District" and "demonstrate that they are of good moral character and worthy to instruct and supervise" students.

The board considered a revised version of the policy the administration first presented at the board's June 2 meeting. Certain language related to the "public conventions and morals in Bentonville" was removed from the original version because board members had agreed it was vague.

Grant Lightle, a board member, requested the administration craft this kind of policy last fall. Michael Poore, superintendent, said the district relied on attorney Marshall Ney in writing the policy.

Brent Leas, a board member, questioned Monday whether it was a good use of district resources to pay Ney for that service.

"It just seems like an excessive cost," Leas said. "I'm for just nixing this thing altogether. I don't think we need to spend anymore of our time or energy on it."

Leas also said the board never officially voted to authorize the administration to seek a conduct policy. He made a motion the board stop discussing the matter. Nobody seconded the motion, however.

Wendi Cheatham, board president, said she preferred to have the full board on hand before taking any kind of action on the matter. Lightle and Willie Cowgur missed Monday's meeting.

Leas noted later in the meeting the district has spent $108,350 on legal expenses this fiscal year, which ends June 30. That's already more than double what was budgeted for legal services for the year.

"Some of that has been overreach by this board, asking our legal counsel to do things I don't think are necessary," Leas said.

Lightle said this month he sought the policy in order to ensure the district has a clear way to discipline or terminate an employee whose conduct is deemed inappropriate.

Poore pointed out Arkansas educators already are bound by seven standards of ethical conduct as outlined by the Department of Education.

The district's Certified Personnel Policy Committee reviewed the original draft of the conduct policy last month. Michelle Fikes, committee chairwoman, said the consensus of members was the policy was not necessary.

Rebecca Powers, a board member, said she was offended by the district's proposed policy, adding she believed the issue is already covered by district and state policies. She also agreed with Leas about the cost of exploring such a policy.

"We need to think about that when we give out directives," Powers said.

In other business, the board unanimously approved moving forward with a boundary study to be performed by Schreder & Associates, a firm based in Sacramento, Calif.

The same firm did an extensive demographics analysis last year to help officials understand how much growth the district should expect and where the growth likely would occur.

The firm plans to update last year's demographics study before developing attendance boundary options that will cover all grade levels for the 2016-17 school year, when Bentonville West High School is expected to open.

Cheryl King, a senior associate with the firm, was at Monday's meeting to talk about the process. The goal of the study is to provide the district an accurate picture of what the district will look like in five to 10 years so the boundaries that are crafted will be durable.

The firm will present recommendations on boundaries. Its goals include keeping neighborhoods together and maintaining socioeconomic and racial balances.

The firm also aims to create boundaries that make sense from a family's perspective, King said.

"We understand the dynamics of, 'My school is right across the street, why do I have to go three miles this way to go to school?'" she said.

The firm's study and recommendations are expected to be completed this fall.