Parkrose School Board member Sonja McKenzie was stunned when she learned at her first national conference six years ago that school board members in some states get paid. They were equally amazed she didn’t, she said.
McKenzie’s next national conversation could be different. The 2023 Legislature removed Oregon’s prohibition against paying school board members. Oregon school board members can now receive up to $500 a month.
House Bill 2753 went into effect July 18. Boards can begin paying directors as soon they make proper budget allocations and pass a resolution. The available stipends are a significant shift in Oregon school board philosophy, and OSBA will release policy updates and sample resolutions to help guide boards.
School board members face expenses such as child care, travel and training in addition to time commitments that can exclude some candidates. McKenzie, the OSBA Board president, said the stipends are an important step toward allowing more people to serve on school boards.
Rep. Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, said he introduced HB 2753 mainly because districts are losing valuable school board experience when overburdened members choose not to run again. He said a small stipend, less than many city councilors make, could ease the strain and help retain people as well as recruit a more representative body.
Bowman, the former Tigard-Tualatin School Board chair, said he struggled to interest people in his seat when he knew he was stepping down. The time demands away from family and the associated costs were an obstacle for many, he said.
“There should be some sacrifice in public service, but I don’t think the sacrifice should be so large that large portions of the public are just unable to participate,” he said.
The proposal divided school board members during the legislative session, and OSBA representatives worked hard to modify the bill to address concerns. The expense for districts, particularly ones with smaller budgets, drove much of the bill’s opposition.
Bowman emphasized that the new law does not require school board members to be paid, nor does the stipend have to be set at $500. He said the law gives districts the flexibility to decide what works best for them.
Paying the stipend requires board action, and OSBA recommends that boards pass a resolution annually. OSBA Policy Services has created a sample resolution that it will be sharing at the 2023 OSBA Summer Board Conference and on its website. OSBA is also preparing a policy update later this month for members, along with an FAQ.
HB 2753 says voting board members can be paid a stipend, “not to exceed $500.” The maximum will be tied to an inflation index so it will rise over time. Individual board members can decide not to take the stipend. The board can also decide whether the stipend will be in addition to expense reimbursements.
If board members do not receive a stipend, though, they must be reimbursed for “actual and necessary expenses” incurred by their service, according to the new law. Still, the board can decide what constitutes an expense.
The law specifies the payment does not make school board members into district employees, an important clarification to the bill’s original text because district employees are not allowed to serve on school boards. The stipend is also part of “official compensation” so it does not conflict with Oregon ethics statutes against using an official position for “financial benefit.”
HB 2753 only applies to school district board members, not members of an education service district, charter school or community college board.
McKenzie said Parkrose would discuss offering the stipends and how much would be reasonable, but she is not sure whether she would accept one.
“My concern, first and foremost, is the financial health of the district,” she said. McKenzie said she has served hundreds of hours a year without financial assistance already but it would have been easier with some financial help.
McKenzie sees the stipend as an important step toward increasing equitable representation on Oregon’s school boards, giving working and young families more of an opportunity. She said the conversation about stipends will provide board members an opening to offer a statement of support for school board service.
“If a stipend supports their work, it’s an opportunity to stay engaged,” she said.
– Jake Arnold, OSBA
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