Finance committee recommends annualizing board pay and adding remediation language to fund-balance policy

A proposal to change how the district pays board members was discussed in finance committee and previewed to the full board Thursday. Director Rem Bergaiti said the committee recommended that payments to board members and officer stipends be held until the board approves the prior year financial audit and be paid in a lump sum annually thereafter.

Bergaiti said the policy would include remediation language: "For all school years that the district is in violation of section 5, which is that fund balance amount, the compensation for all board members will be reduced to $1 a month and all stipends for officers will be eliminated. Board authorizes rates of pay for board members, and officer stipends would be reinstated in the school year the district is back in compliance with section 5." The committee discussed wording and recommended final language to be brought forward for consideration on Oct. 1.

Board members asked about the purpose of the remediation provision and the potential effect on encouraging candidates to serve; Bergaiti said the change aimed to tie compensation to the district's financial health and to operationalize previous board direction.