Members of the transition team representing what will become a new east-side school district after the split of the Jordan School District are preparing for arbitration with their counterparts on the west side.

The team hired Jeffrey L. Shields of the Salt Lake City law firm Callister Nebeker & McCullough on Monday to serve as counsel during possible arbitration.

Team members met in a 90-minute closed session to discuss the matter at Sandy City Hall. They passed a motion to hire Shields after opening the meeting.

"We need to be prepared," said Steven Newton, chairman of the east-side transition team. "Writing on the wall says that it's highly probable [that we're going to arbitration]."

The decision comes after the transition team representing what will remain of Jordan on the west side issued a news release rejecting a 13-point plan spelling out how Jordan assets would be distributed to the two new districts.

The two transition teams are responsible for allocating the Jordan School District's assets by Aug. 1. Last wee, the west-side transition team rejected the 13-point plan based on two concerns: a $196 million bond and the proposed date for allocation of the district's assets.

East-side transition team member Lamont Smith suggested coming up with an alternative proposal on the bond item.

The east-side team will prepare a letter stating its position of wanting to keep the two items of contention on the table and asking the west-side transition team if it wants to continue negotiations.

"If the bond and the date are off the table, then we might as well face the fact that we are going to arbitration," Newton said.