People don’t run for school board to get rich. They run to do what they think is best for schools.

House Bill 2753 in the Oregon Legislature would allow school board members to get a monthly stipend for serving on the board. A district could pay them up to $500 a month — adjusted by the consumer price index. Board members would be able to refuse it.

We think it’s a good idea.

Being a school board member is like having a second job. The stipend should make it easier for people to give their time. The most important thing is that it might make the positions on the board more accessible to a broader spectrum of people.

There is some token reimbursement for school board members now. For instance, if school board members for the Bend-La Pine Schools have coffee with a constituent, they could get compensated. If they go to a related conference, they would get mileage and a per diem like a staff member would.

What’s interesting to us about this is how the proposed stipend for school board members would compare to say serving on the Bend City Council. If HB 2753 passes, a school board member could earn $6,000 a year through the stipend. The mayor of Bend currently makes $19,540 a year. Councilors make $9,700 a year.

Frankly, we think school board members are at least as important as councilors. But $6,000 is still good.

Bend city government has also already done something similar for board members of committees. In the summer of 2022, the Bend City Council created a stipend program for city board members and committees. Members can get up to $40 per meeting and up to $500 a year per person. It might help pay for a babysitter or defray some parking and transportation costs.

Of course, it would be nice if we didn’t have to pay anybody

anything for serving on school boards. And that still can be the case if HB 2753 passes. But if we want serving in government to be an option for more people, a stipend is a good step.