Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board members debate increasing board stipend; discussion centers on optics and funding sources
Summary
Board member Pat Bradford proposed adjusting the board stipend to recover past reductions and apply missed cost‑of‑living adjustments; members discussed funding options and whether county or internal reallocation should cover any increase.
Pat Bradford introduced a proposal for the board to seek an increase in the annual stipend for each board member, saying the board has had no meaningful increase since a partial restoration in 2018 and asking administration to look for budget lines that could be shifted to cover roughly $28,000 total for the seven members.
“I'm not asking you for a vote on anything today, but I do want to make you familiar with this,” Bradford said, describing a plan to request a per‑member increase that would bring each stipend to about $16,732 annually if the board pursued a $4,000 increase per member. Bradford said the ask would require board approval and county approval because county commissioners set and approve school board compensation in the county budget process.
Board members discussed optics and funding sources. Dr. Barnes and other members cautioned against the public perception that board pay increases would come “out of the kids’ money,” and some members suggested shifting small amounts within the board’s existing lines (travel reimbursements, workshop expenses, contracted services) rather than taking classroom dollars. One board member noted that unused stipend funds roll back into the general fund when not spent.
Several members argued that the modest stipend increase could broaden the economic diversity of people able to serve on the board, because serving requires time away from paid work. “It’s really hard for people, regular younger people to run,” Bradford said, arguing modest compensation could reduce barriers to public service.
Administration said how a stipend increase would be processed: it would be included in the superintendent’s budget submission to the county and would require county approval. Board members asked staff to return with line‑item detail on travel, workshop, membership and contracted services to evaluate whether internal reallocation could cover part of the request without reducing school services.
No board action on stipend increases occurred at the meeting; the board placed the discussion on the agenda for follow‑up.
