School Board trustees to talk about giving themselves raises

Clark County School Board members could get pay raises today.

The decision will be made by some of the elected officials’ most intimate colleagues: themselves.

The Legislature this year gave trustees raises to $750 a month, but the increases are not effective until Jan. 1, 2009. Trustees are now paid $80 or $85 per meeting, with a maximum of six meetings a month.

The School Board can immediately implement the raises if they choose.

Several trustees said they expect a lively discussion on the topic during their 4 p.m. meeting at 2832 E. Flamingo Road, but have mixed feelings about the raises.

“We obviously don’t do this for the big bucks,” Trustee Carolyn Edwards said. “We do it because we care about the school district and children. … Right now, if you don’t attend meetings, you don’t get paid. Under the new law, if you don’t attend meetings, you’ll still get paid.”

Other trustees said the pay increases are deserved, but they are concerned because the raises will come directly from the school district’s budget.

“If it was important enough for the legislators to pass it, then they should have funded it,” Trustee Sheila Moulton said. “In essence, it takes away from our children and our classrooms.”

Moulton said she works about 30 hours per week on the School Board, and spent about 40 hours per week in her past stints as board president.

The board’s president receives $85 per meeting, as does the clerk.

Moulton said she earns about $3,800 a year as a trustee.

The new law will evenly disperse $63,000 per year among seven trustees.

The law pays school board members different amounts based on how big of a school system they serve. Trustees at smaller districts will get either $250 or $400 per month. Clark County board members get more because of the school district’s size — it is the fifth largest in the nation with nearly 303,000 students.

A 2005 study by the National School Boards Association based in Alexandria, Va., analyzed the pay of school board officials in 36 urban districts, Clark County being the largest. The study determined that 25 of 36 districts compensated their board members through a stipend or a salary. The six districts that provided stipends per meeting ranged from $80 per meeting to $225 per meeting. Twelve districts also provided annual salaries or stipends ranging from $100 to $37,946.

Some large districts range in salary and benefits. Chicago’s school system, the third largest in the country with about 415,000 students, doesn’t compensate its appointed board members with a stipend or salary. But the Duval County Public Schools in Florida, with about 125,000 students, pays it board members $40,098 yearly. Those board members also receive medical and life insurance, and are eligible for the state’s retirement system.

Clark County’s trustees also have a $49,000 annual budget for travel expenses, or about $7,000 per trustee. A $27 per day stipend can be used while on school business travel. Trustees also receive 48.5 cents per mile traveled by car to attend school business-related matters.

None of the trustees’ benefits are being changed other than their base pay.

The new law allows trustees to return all or portions of their salary to the district or schools within the district.

Carole Vilardo, president of the nonprofit Nevada Taxpayers Association, said she has no problem with the new law because it has been her experience that board members work hard and sometimes aren’t compensated for their work.

She said if Clark County’s trustees take issue with the new law, they can always give the money back.

“They can refuse the raises or donate the money,” Vilardo said.

Trustees Edwards, Moulton and Terri Janison said it was too soon to comment on whether they’ll return any or all of their raises to the district.

State Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, voted in favor of raises, but not because he supports additional pay for the elected officials. The law also requires administrators to observe classroom instruction and even lead lessons if they are certified to teach.

Beers said low pay for trustees is not a reason why the district is struggling. Rather, he said, it’s because the district is a “bloated bureaucracy.”

Beers said some principals are out of touch with what’s going on in their classrooms and might need a refresher.

“It’s good for them (principals) to get in the classrooms periodically,” Beers said. “The good ones already do it.”