Sartell–St. Stephen board sets member pay at $3,200 for chair, $3,000 for others; hourly meeting pay cut

The Sartell–St. Stephen School Board approved changes to board compensation during its January organizational meeting, lowering some meeting stipends and standardizing annual pay.

District administration outlined the current compensation structure and the proposed adjustments. After discussion about optics amid district budget constraints and the relatively small dollar impact of board stipends, members voted to set annual pay at $3,200 for the chair and $3,000 for directors, treasurer, clerk, and vice chair. The board set hourly compensation for special sessions and committee meetings at $40 per hour for meetings lasting 1–6 hours and $350 for meetings over six hours. The board also confirmed a yearly family activity pass for all members.

Speaker 4 argued that equalizing treasurer pay with other members reflected current, digitized workflows; Speaker 3 noted that much treasurer work is now done online rather than handling paper receipts. The motion to adopt the new pay schedule passed by voice vote.

Board members emphasized the changes were modest and largely symbolic while signaling attention to district budget pressures.