Limestone County school board members met privately Monday night to discuss how much Limestone County schools will have to pay toward the proposed high school Madison plans to build in Limestone County.

Board members met in closed session for about an hour at the beginning of their regular monthly meeting. They stated that their discussion involved possible litigation and therefore could be closed under the provisions of the state’s Sunshine Law.

When asked after the meeting if a lawsuit would be likely, board member Charles Shoulders said he thought the two school systems could come to an agreement.

The new school — which will be built on more than 70 acres of Madison-annexed land on the Limestone County side of County Line Road — will be designed to take pressure off Bob Jones High School in Madison. It would serve about 1,000 to 1,500 students in grades 9-12, including about 500 from Limestone County.

Madison’s decision to build a school has forced Limestone County and Athens schools to either reach an agreement to pay part of the tax burden or be stuck with it all in order to comply with state rules.

How much Limestone will pay Madison City Schools depends on the number of students in Limestone County Schools, Athens City Schools and the new Madison High School.

Madison Schools Superintendent Dee Fowler had hoped to have an agreement reached by March of this year. He had asked Carroll last April to consider signing such an agreement so Limestone would pay countywide tax only on those students who live in Madison-annexed portions of eastern Limestone County.