Kern County board tables decision on trustee pay after briefing on new state law

The Kern County Board of Education on Tuesday heard a legal briefing about recently enacted state legislation referenced in the meeting as “AB 13 90” and opted to table any change to trustee compensation pending a study session.

General counsel Abby Affant summarized the law and the existing bylaw constraints, saying the board’s bylaw currently specifies $80 per meeting and that the statute now sets a monthly maximum tied to county funding bands. “The bylaw would need to be updated to provide that it could receive the maximum monthly compensation as provided in education code 10 90,” Affant said during the presentation. She told trustees the statute’s banding treats Kern as a class 2 county and that the figure cited in the briefing for class 2 counties was $2,000 per month as a statutory maximum.

Trustees pressed staff on fiscal effects and public perception. District finance staff explained that any increased stipend would come from LCFF general‑purpose (unrestricted) funds and not from restricted grants. As one finance presenter said, “Those dollars are not eligible to come from any other grants. They come from our LCFF funding, which is our general unrestricted funding.” Trustees asked whether individual members could decline the payment; Affant said a written opt‑out to the county office is possible but would be subject to public‑records requests.

Board members also asked for comparatives: the briefing referenced Bakersfield City School District as adopting its maximum under the statute. Several trustees said they wanted time to review data and to consider public reaction before deciding whether to amend the bylaw. The board directed staff to schedule a study session to review options and to gather comparative data from other counties and districts.

No motion to change pay was taken at the meeting; the item is scheduled for follow‑up at a study session the board will set at a later date.