After hours of debate, board adopts $1,200 monthly stipend under AB 1390; health-insurance cap left for future discussion

The board voted to adopt a $1,200 monthly stipend for trustees under Assembly Bill 1390 after an extended debate over total compensation, health-insurance costs, and how to fund the change.

Several trustees urged caution and sought clarity on the full cost, noting health-insurance offerings comprise a substantial portion of trustee compensation. One board member outlined hypothetical insurance costs for a board member and spouse and children as high as $4,000 per month (about $48,000 annually) and urged either a lower stipend or an insurance cap to offset the fiscal impact. Another trustee, Kathy, argued the stipend could help recruit working parents and broaden the candidate pool, saying districts of similar size have accepted the full stipend and that trustees can decline the stipend voluntarily.

Board members agreed to ask fiscal staff to compile options and funding scenarios, as they would in union negotiations, but the immediate motion to adopt the $1,200 stipend was moved, seconded, and approved by a 4-1 vote (Board member Folks opposed). The board noted it will place an item on a future agenda to consider whether to cap health insurance for trustees or otherwise offset the stipend's budgetary impact.