Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Board Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee backs permissive increase to school board chair pay cap; 4–1 vote
Summary
The Senate subcommittee recommended reporting House Bill 382, which would let local school boards pay chairs and vice chairs higher supplements (to $3,500 or 30% for chairs; limited increases for vice chairs). Supporters called it an inflation adjustment; skeptics questioned cost and equity. Vote: 4–1.
House Bill 382, presented to the subcommittee by the bill’s patron, would lift the state cap on supplemental pay for school board chairs and clarify whether vice chairs can be paid additional stipends.
“This is House Bill 382. It’s a permissive bill that updates our code to address inflation and differences amongst localities,” the sponsor said, noting the existing $2,000 cap on a chair’s extra pay has not been raised since 2002 and proposing a cap of $3,500 or up to 30% more than the member salary. The bill would also allow vice chairs modest increases (either a fixed amount or a percentage), the sponsor added.
Emily Webb, speaking for Adventist Strategies on behalf of Alexandria City Public Schools, said the district supports the bill. Supporters argued leadership roles typically require extra meetings with superintendents, PTAs and other partners and that local boards should have the permissive authority to compensate chairs who take on that additional workload.
Some senators pressed the sponsor on cost and fairness. “Do you think the chairs are better than the other members?” one senator asked. The sponsor responded that the measure is about fair compensation, not status, and that boards would only pay additional stipends after a local vote.
After questions and brief exchanges, the committee voted to recommend reporting the bill to the full committee on a 4–1 vote; Senator Peake was recorded as the lone no. The recommendation means the bill will advance for further consideration; no change to current salaries is mandated by the state under this bill.
