Should the compensation of Hutchinson School Board members be increased?
Outgoing Board Member Chris Wilke broached the subject during an Aug. 24 quarterly meeting. He cited the stipend of School Board members — $3,500 a year — and compared it to school districts of a similar size as well as other Hutchinson boards and commissions. For instance, Hutchinson City Council members are paid roughly $6,200 a year, local Utility Commission members are paid $5,300 a year, Princeton School Board members are paid $5,400 a year and Fergus Falls School Board members are paid $5,400 a year.
"I just wanted to tee up the conversation with the board," Wilke said. "I took a look at my personal meeting load as a board member, and I'd like us all to do that at some point in the future."
He said he attended 40 meetings a year without accounting for negotiations.
Wilke said he and other board members serve to improve the district, but noted it had been 15 years since pay had been adjusted. The subject is visited each January, but board members decline to make any change.
"I understand this topic can be seen as self-serving," he said. "I want this board to be a vibrant board, to maintain professional candidates moving forward, to always be perceived as one of the best boards for its public service opportunities."
Wilke said the time seemed right to discuss board member compensation because five seats are on the ballot this November, and there could be five new board members with 10 candidates on the ballot. Board members Wilke, Byron Bettenhausen and Brian Pollmann did not file for re-election. Wilke proposed making a decision before the end of the year, with any change to take effect in January.
Bettenhausen said it is unlikely any new board member would vote to increase their own pay, as doing so may look like a conflict of interest.
"It looks better from my standpoint," he said. "I won't be coming back on the board, so if I vote to increase the pay to get better candidates in the future and keep this viable with other boards in the community, I won't be getting a raise."
"We want to be respectful of people's time," Pollmann said. "I guess that's what it really boils down to. The people who work on this board put a lot of time into that, and a lot of energy into that. ... I understand the politics behind it. It's a very difficult decision to make. It can look bad."
The School Board plans to discuss the subject during a regular meeting in the future.
