Board Salaries

St Petersburg Times writer Jeffrey Solocheck wrote a story this week about the Florida legislature agreeing to allow local school boards and their members to voluntarily cut their own pay. In my mind, this idea smacks of political pandering, but let’s analyze a bit.

Hillsborough County board members earn about $40,900 yearly. Some say that’s not bad for a part-time job. Truth is, their job is far from part-time and they are entrusted with overseeing over 220,000 K-12 and adult students, an almost $3 billion budget, along with about 25,000 employees. If they truly use their talents and work hard, they deserve e a much higher salary range.

On the other hand, most don’t really need a salary at all and could live quite well without being paid. If holding a Hillsborough School Board seat were considered an unpaid public service, I wonder how many would run for re-election?

Years ago, I was at a forum for Hillsborough Clerk of the Court candidates. The late Ralph Hughes posed a question to the four candidates: “Which of you want to serve the public and which of your need a job?” I have always thought that a great question to all politicians, and wish the local newspapers that endorse candidates would make that question and the response standard practice.

To get back to school board salaries, Mr. Solocheck pointed out in his story that any reduction would be a drop in the bucket of the huge financial hits already being taken by various school districts. But, as someone once said, perception is reality, and if board members wanted to donate their salaries to the Hillsborough Education Foundations’s Teaching Tooling project, which gives free classroom supplies to Title I teachers, maybe those good deeds would be noticed come election time.

I will guarantee you now, if the Hillsborough district goes to salary reductions and/or layoffs, raucous board meeting will be a norm, and those less senior teachers and support staffers who make less than $40,900 yearly will looking to vent their outrage.

posted by admin @ 10:31 AM