The tight timelines of the current short legislative session have delayed efforts to end confusion around paying Oregon school board members stipends.
Over the last several months OSBA staff have worked with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to determine how to make the practical application of House Bill 2753, passed in 2023, conform with Oregon ethics laws.
The final determination was that the bill requires a legislative fix in 2025. According to lawmakers, the issue’s complexity requires more time and input than the short session allows.
The law for the first time allowed Oregon school board members to receive stipends of up to $500 monthly for their volunteer board service. Rep. Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, a former Tigard-Tualatin School Board member, recognized that there is a financial barrier to the demanding leadership role, particularly for individuals from under-resourced communities. OSBA sees this as a tool to ensure that school boards better reflect their local communities.
The law ran afoul of ethical concerns shortly after it took effect last July. The ethics commission determined that board members would potentially face a conflict of interest if they discussed and voted on such stipends for the entire board. (See Oregon Government Ethics Commission Advice No. 23-342I.)
The commission suggested various ways a board could act to avoid such a conflict, but OSBA attorneys consider that the workarounds raise other possible conflicts.
“There are just too many gray areas and imperfect solutions for us to be comfortable,” said Haley Percell, OSBA’s chief legal officer and interim deputy executive director.
Percell suggests that members consult with their legal counsel if they have questions, and look toward a legislative fix coming together in 2025. In the meantime, OSBA has updated its frequently asked questions.
– Alex Pulaski, OSBA
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