Denver School Board Considers Quadrupling Members' Pay to $33,000 in Controversial Proposal
At a meeting on Thursday, the Denver school board re-introduced a proposal to quadruple its members' pay to up to $33,000 per year, stirring up strong reactions from both supporters and detractors.
The vote on the proposal is set to take place on November 16th, right after next week's school board election but before the newly elected or reelected members are sworn in. According to district officials, only those who were recently elected or reelected would be eligible for the increased pay.
The proposal was initially brought up in February but was put on hold due to concerns that it was not yet ready. However, at Thursday's meeting, most board members expressed their support for the measure, claiming that it will attract more diverse candidates to run for the board.
One member even went as far as calling the position "a full-time job on top of a full-time job."
Board member Charmaine Lindsay highlighted the low current stipend, stating that it is "a minimal amount of money." She also acknowledged that the lack of proper compensation is a key factor in why the school board struggles to attract qualified candidates.
However, not all members are in favor of the proposal.
Board member Scott Baldermann voiced his opposition, stating that while he agrees with the concept of raising pay, the board needs to first address the issue of board member spending. Baldermann previously raised concerns about the lack of guidelines on how much board members can spend on expenses such as traveling to conferences.
It was revealed that last fiscal year, the board spent over $40,000 on such expenses, as reported by the Denver Post.
Under a policy passed in 2021, Denver board members can currently receive a maximum of $8,250 per year, with the rate increasing each year to account for inflation. However, not all seven board members are eligible to receive this pay due to a state law that prohibits sitting board members from raising their own pay. This means that only three of the current members were eligible to be paid last fiscal year.
District records show that only three board members received pay in the last fiscal year. Scott Esserman and Michelle Quattlebaum each received over $13,000, which includes both pay and public employee retirement benefits. Board President Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán received over $12,000 in pay and retirement benefits.
However, under the new proposal, Esserman, Quattlebaum, and Gaytán would not be eligible for the increased pay. They will continue to receive the lower amount. The same goes for board member Carrie Olson, who is halfway through her second term but has not requested any pay.
If passed, the new proposal would allow board members to receive a daily pay of up to $150 for five days a week, which is the maximum allowed under state law. Since the board does not convene in July, board members are only paid for 11 months out of the year, resulting in the proposed $33,000 annual pay. Under the current policy, board members can be paid up to $150 per day for only five days a month.
While many elected officials in Colorado receive salaries, the amounts vary greatly. For instance, members of the Denver City Council are paid a yearly salary of $110,595, while the council president receives $123,846.
Other school boards in Colorado have already approved pay for their members. In Aurora, board members can receive up to $450 per month, while in Sheridan, they can request $150 per day for conferences and board retreats. If the proposal is approved, Denver would be the only school board in Colorado paying its members the maximum allowed under the law.
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Critics of the proposal argue that the timing is suspect, as it would only benefit the newly elected members and not the current board. They also point out that the district is facing a budget shortfall and could better allocate the proposed pay increase towards more pressing needs.
The Denver school board will vote on the proposal on November 16th, and the outcome is expected to be highly anticipated and hotly contested.