|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Pleasanton Unified School District board members will consider raising their monthly stipends from $463 to as much as $2,000, a proposal that has previously drawn criticism from residents who questioned whether the increases are appropriate amid the district’s financial challenges.
The board at its Thursday meeting will discuss and possibly vote on increasing member stipends under a state law passed in 2025 that raised trustee compensation limits for the first time in more than four decades.
Assembly Bill 1390, which went into effect on Jan. 1, raised the cap on board stipends to between $600 and $4,500 a month, depending on district enrollment. Previously, the maximum monthly stipend for a board member was between $60 and $1,500.
The Pleasanton district’s student enrollment allows trustees to receive up to $2,000 monthly under the change, though the board can also set a lower amount or choose no increase at all.
Under the law, school boards can increase stipends by 5% annually, even if those increases push the amount beyond the maximum rate.
Lawmakers have said the increases are meant to more adequately compensate board members for the hours they spend on what is typically viewed as a part-time job, as well as make it more feasible for all members of the community to run for school boards.
However, the idea of raising trustee stipends in the Pleasanton school district has already faced pushback from some residents. When the change was discussed at a district policy committee meeting in June, about a dozen or so residents spoke during public comment, with many saying it wasn’t appropriate to consider board raises amid the district’s financial challenges. The district has in recent years has struggled to address an ongoing structural deficit and related budget shortfalls.
The policy committee ultimately tabled the discussion, but board President Kelly Baehr at the time said the goal was to eventually bring the item before the board for a vote.
The board is set to meet at 6 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 21) at the district office, 5758 West Las Positas Blvd. The meeting will also be livestreamed. Find the complete agenda here.
