Board members Stephanie Engelsman and Virginia La Forte have introduced an amendment to a resolution from Board Chair Eddie Wang that would direct the district to immediately retain outside counsel to lead a fact-finding review. The amendment was posted Thursday so board members could consider both proposals together.

The push follows reports that Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong and other district leaders discussed school business on Signal, a third-party encrypted messaging app that a PPS spokesperson confirmed is not approved for official district communications. Screenshots reviewed by reporters showed that Armstrong and other leaders at times used Signal's disappearing-messages feature, which automatically deletes messages after a set period.

Wang's original resolution would authorize the district's general counsel to work with outside legal counsel to gather facts on three broad questions: whether employees used Signal, whether any information can be retained, and what other relevant information should be collected. The findings would then be reported back to the board.

The Engelsman-La Forte amendment goes further in several key respects. It asks independent counsel to determine whether Armstrong, top district employees, or other entities directed staff to use messaging platforms not approved by PPS to conduct district business. It extends the scope of the inquiry beyond current employees to include former district leaders and "individuals or entities acting on behalf of the district."

Crucially, the amendment would place the investigation under the control of independent counsel rather than district administration. "The board authorizes and directs the district to immediately retain independent legal counsel to advise and represent the board, and to initiate and manage fact-finding," the amendment states. "District general counsel and district personnel shall provide necessary records, information, and logistical assistance but will not have authority to direct independent counsel or the fact-finding process."

The amendment also requires independent counsel to establish a confidential channel through which current and former employees can share information and documents. It directs the district to begin preserving any potentially relevant records immediately and requires that findings be delivered "directly and solely to the full board" by Dec. 11.

Neither La Forte nor Engelsman was immediately available for comment.

The special meeting is scheduled for Friday. If approved, the measure would mark an unusual step for the board: handing an internal investigation to outside attorneys with a mandate to report only to elected board members, not to the superintendent or district legal staff.