After some discussion, the trustees of School District No. 57 voted not to raise their pay this year.
Trustee compensation was set by the Board of Education in December 2014 and was due for a $270 increase, which the board voted 6-1 to forgo.
Board chairperson Tony Cable said that, while school board trustees aren’t in it for the money, there is good reason to give trustees regular raises.
“The flip side is that you need to do regular increases so that the remuneration keeps up with the cost of living and other organizations and other trustee groups.”
Cable also noted that, when compared to similarly sized districts, such as Kamloops/Thompson and Victoria, the local school board spends modestly on its members. Local trustees currently earn $15,000 per year for their services, while the vice-chairperson receives $16,500 and the chairperson gets $18,000.
Trustee Trish Bella suggested that, instead of being set by the Board of Education and voted on by school board trustees, board member salaries should be tied to the Consumer Price Index. Cable said he likes the idea.
“I think that’s a great idea – I think that’s a very successful way to do it and I think it’s a very fair thing to do.”
He added that adjustments to trustee salaries can be “a double-edged sword.”
“If trustees, year after year, don’t take a bump then all of a sudden you’re going to find that you’re way out of whack and way behind other districts so you just have to be careful.”
Prince George’s city council faced this exact situation in 2011 when a four person committee was appointed to review councillor’s compensation compared to similar municipalities. The committee recommended a $7,000 bump in councillor pay – an increase of nearly 30% that councillors later approved.
Cable said he hopes to avoid a similar situation for the school board in future.