Skip to main contentThe seven-member Portland School Board on Tuesday night became the first in the state to authorize paying itself monthly stipends.
In seven separate votes approving each zone director for the stipends, each board member took turns recusing themselves and supporting each other for the $527 stipends. Altogether, the expense will cost Portland Public Schools $44,268 for 12 months.
They can do so because of House Bill 2753. Passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2023, the bill authorizes elected school board members to receive a stipend of up to $500 each month, with inflation adjustments based on the consumer price index. The resolutions the School Board passed mean payments will start this month, and allow any board member to opt out of receiving any or all of the stipend money.
The primary goal of the stipends is to hopefully expand who has access to serve on the Portland School Board, says Chair Eddie Wang. Wang says that while trying to recruit other members to the School Board in the last election cycle, he found the barrier of entry was out of reach for many involved in the PPS community.
“We probably would have gotten more candidates if there was a stipend in place,” Wang says. “Even one or two [more candidates] would make a big difference when there are three or four seats up per election.”
Often averaging at least 20 hours a week, Wang and other board members who spoke with WW have said the stipend will translate to an hourly rate of $5 or $6.
Wang says that he’s spoken to school board members across Oregon who’ve had different rationales for why they haven’t yet adopted stipends. Many smaller districts cannot afford to, Wang says, which he says is not the case at PPS. “The percentage we’re spending on stipends is minuscule compared to the amount of money we’re overseeing,” he says. “That percentage is a lot bigger in a small district.”
“It takes time to be a good board member, and if I have to constantly choose whether to work an extra hour or put an extra hour into my board work, that’s going to hurt the district,” Wang adds, noting that the board routinely oversees large sums of money and that mistakes can be costly. “It’s just going to be better for the district, and could actually potentially save us a lot more money [than the stipends cost].”
At the School Board meeting on Tuesday, board members, on the whole, supported the stipends. Some acknowledged that the decision had felt uncomfortable at first glance, but noted the time commitment was well beyond a normal volunteer position.
“It is so important the work that is being done by all of these board members,” said board member Stephanie Engelsman. “To any other districts out here thinking about doing this, it feels weird. All of us have felt weird about this. But the legislators have finally recognized that it’s an important step in the right direction.”
