Eau Claire Area School District board to consider raising member stipends; decision slated for October

Board members of the Eau Claire Area School District discussed raising the district's long-unchanged board member stipend during a work-session discussion, and agreed to tentatively place a stipend change on the agenda for the second meeting in October.

The board noted the current base stipend is $2,000 and that it has not been adjusted since about 2002. One speaker said, "I think it is time to change this. It's been too long," and asked staff to prepare comparative data on stipends used by peer districts.

Board members discussed two linked questions: whether to change the stipend at all, and if so, how much and by what rollout. Proposals mentioned during the discussion included a base increase to $3,000, an option to double the current base to approximately $4,000, and a proposal to set the president's stipend around $5,000 to preserve the existing ratio between member and president pay. Several members also urged tying future adjustments to a defined inflation measure: "connect it to CPI so this conversation from ever happening again," one member said.

Speakers emphasized recruitment and equity reasons for a change. A board speaker said the stipend might make service more accessible for people "who might not be able to afford to do it otherwise," while another cautioned that there is little research showing a direct causal relationship between higher stipends and board diversity.

Board direction and next steps: members asked staff to assemble financial scenarios and side-by-side tables showing the budgetary impact of different base stipend levels (for example, $2,500, $3,000, and $4,000) and to include options for a CPI-tied adjustment. One member suggested using a CPI adjustment that would apply going forward; another recommended selecting a reasonable floor for 2025 and then indexing to CPI.

No formal motion to change stipends was made at the meeting. The board agreed to consider the item as a potential action item at the second meeting in October, after the district completes its CPI discussion and initial bargaining offers to staff.

Clarifying details recorded in the meeting include: the current base stipend of $2,000 (noted repeatedly), a CPI calculation shown during discussion that estimated $2,000 in 2002 would be approximately $3,573.82 in current dollars, and the specific scenario proposals mentioned above. Members requested a simple table showing annual costs for different stipend levels so budget implications can be reviewed alongside the district's other budget decisions in October.

The board did not vote on changing stipends at this meeting; the discussion produced direction to staff rather than a formal decision.

Ending: The stipend item will return to the board for potential action at the second October meeting with staff-provided budget scenarios and CPI options.