Last year after giving a District-wide, retroactive two percent raise, School Board members, in a move that reeked of self-interest, decided to vote themselves, for the first-time ever by a board, the same two percent increase.
This year they decided to up their ante to 2.5 percent. This time I know better than to call it a District-wide raise. Because I now know that not all employees working in the School District received these boosts.
Looking in the Mirror
In just looking at the School Board’s self-promoting votes over the past two years, these brought their monthly stipends to $250.92, an increase of $10.92 a month. Some Board members justified – more like rationalized – their own raises by saying that the previous $240 stipend was not enough for them to do their elected responsibilities. Some even thought they deserved the raises because of inflation. It looks more as if Board members are saying, “If I am going to serve, I want to be adequately compensated.”
A Bad Example
In voting themselves these raises the past two years, Board members are setting a poor example for our students on what community service is about. Starting in the ninth grade, high school students are compelled to perform a minimum of 60 hours of community service, of their choice, before graduating. Going by the School Board’s example, all high school students should be compensated for serving their community.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
