The Eugene 4J School Board will consider a proposal at its meeting Wednesday that could lead to board members getting paid for the first time ever.
Oregon lawmakers approved a bill this year that ends the state’s prohibition against paying school board members. Now, boards may begin compensating members up to $500 a month.
Eugene 4J Board Chair Maya Rabasa will present the item for discussion.
“It is the first time we’ll be discussing it as a group for sure,” she said. “I anticipate that we will cover some of the details around the how and the why we would consider taking this stipend.”
Rabasa said the board will discuss how a stipend may lift financial barriers for some qualified candidates, including people who may be interested in applying for the position that’s currently vacant. Rabasa said she expects the board will make a decision at its meeting on Sept. 20.
Each school district in the state must address whether they wish to approve the stipend for their board members. To move forward with the payments, boards must allocate funds in the annual budget and pass a resolution. Rabasa said, “doing nothing means a district has chosen not to take the stipend.”
So far, it’s unclear how many Oregon districts will be in favor of paying school board members for what has always been known as a volunteer position.
Rabasa said she and some sitting members of the 4J Board recently attended an Oregon School Boards Association conference where they learned some specifics of the legislation. For instance, she said, even if a district moves to allocate funds for these stipends, each individual board member can choose to accept or decline it.
Rabasa also pointed out that “until this bill passed, school board members were the only elected officials in Oregon who were not permitted to receive compensation.”
