MARION - Williamson County Circuit Court Judge John Speroni is expected to rule Friday on a motion filed by the five school districts in the county concerning the lawsuit regarding the 1 percent countywide sales tax, which was filed against the county board by Marion attorney Ron Osman.

Carterville School Superintendent Tim Bleyer said Thursday that the school districts wish to intervene and be a part of the lawsuit. In fact, they wish to be added as defendants.

"We've been on the fence looking in and decided that we needed to get involved as we believe we're the entity that has the most at stake," he said.

Bleyer said Osman argued against the districts' motion, leaving it up to Speroni to decide whether Osman's suit, on behalf of P&S Grain in Marion, will now include Marion, Herrin, Carterville, Johnston City and Crab Orchard schools as defendants or be against only the county board.

Osman has argued the referendum question before the county taxpayers last February, which was approved by the voters, was flawed and therefore unconstitutional.

"It was not done in accordance with the statute, even if it was constitutional," Osman said in October.

Speroni has set Dec. 17 as the date he will hear Osman's request for a temporary restraining order that would stop the flow of sales tax revenues to the school districts. He also is to rule on the county board and possibly on the schools' request to have Osman's suit dismissed.