Lodi school board rejects proposed stipend increase

A proposal to increase the stipend for Lodi Unified School District Board of Education members was stifled this week, with trustees stating they did not seek election for a salary.

The board rejected the proposal by a vote of 2-5 Tuesday night, with members Courtney Porter and George Neely the only two to favor the stipend increase.

The proposal was introduced by Porter.

“One of the reasons I suggested this is because we need to increase (the stipend) a little bit,”

Porter said. “What the board is doing this year has been a difficult year. Last year was extremely difficult. We’ve had more meetings, more pressure, more anxiety, more stress with the items that are occurring nationwide.”

Porter said the second reason he proposed an increase was to encourage more residents to seek election to the board in the future.

He said many board members have run opposed in recent elections, adding that he hoped more parents would seek election if the stipend was higher.

Board members are currently compensated $750 a month, which was decreased from $800 in 2008 when the district made drastic budget cuts, he said.

Porter suggested the board be granted an annual cost of living adjustment similar to that provided to district employees. However, he said the board’s COLA would never exceed 5% a year, even if employees were given increases of 6% or 7%.

He said Los Angeles Unified School District board members are compensated as much as $150,000 annually, while counterparts in San Francisco’s school district are given $30,000 annually.

Smaller districts, such as nearby Elk Grove Unified School District, provide compensation of $750, as well as offer a $100,000 life insurance policy, he said.

Lincoln Unified School District does not offer its board members a monetary stipend, he said, but it does provide retiree benefits to a trustee and spouse for life after serving just one year.

Porter said board members do not have to accept the stipend, stating he only uses his to pay for health care costs, and noting former trustee Dr. Ken Mullen declined compensation.

“It’s a difficult topic, because we’re talking about my compensation,” he said. “And it’s a touchy issue, because you’re an elected official. But you have the right not to take or participate. Or you have the right to take it. One of my goals s to leave this chair better for the next person.”

Board member Joe Nava said he gives his stipend back to the district each month, either through the classroom or foundations such as GOTKids. He and other board members said they ran for election to serve the students, and a monetary stipend did not encourage or deter them from running.

“When I ran for this board, I never knew there was a stipend,”

he said.

“I didn’t do any research, because I didn’t care. I ran for this board because I wanted to stay in education. I spent 41 years in it, and I knew I was going to have some children and grandchildren in (the district), and that’s the fun of things. I don’t come in here for compensation or anything like that.”

During public comment, teacher Lisa Wilkins said district employees do not always receive a COLA each year, and that the Lodi Education Association is typically the labor union that must negotiate pay and benefits increases at the bargaining table first, while other groups follow in their footsteps.

Wilkins said that during recent contract negotiations, the district and LEA reached an impasse, and that stalemate trickled to other labor unions during their respective negotiations.

“I do appreciate all the work you guys put in, don’t get me wrong,” she said. “I was just shocked to hear about the stipend at LA Unified, but more compensation should not be tied to employee compensation. On the other hand, if board members get a cost of living increase, you have to realize what that is going to look like to the employee groups too.”

Board president Ron Freitas said the proposal asks trustees to guarantee something for themselves that they do not guarantee to employees, adding that placing board members “on a pedestal” was inappropriate.

“None of us, I believe, do this for the money,” he said. “And every dollar we spend on ourselves is not a dollar we spend in the classroom. And I would much rather make sure that every single dollar we can possibly spend is spent in the classroom.”

The board also voted 3-5 to reject Porter’s proposal to provide trustees with additional compensation for attending conferences that benefit related to serving.

Porter, Neely and vice president Sue Macfarlane voted in favor of the proposal.