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School Board Pay Cuts Pressed By Legislature

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By ADAM EMERSON

aemerson@tampatrib.com

Published: January 15, 2009

As school districts consider layoffs and salary cuts, the Legislature is asking elected school board members to think about reducing their own pay.

The House and Senate on Wednesday passed a measure empowering school board members to voluntarily cut their salaries or reject a raise.

Though some board members say they are putting everything on the budget-cutting block - including their pay - some say their compensation is being unfairly targeted.

Hillsborough County School Board member Candy Olson said she would be willing to reduce her salary - members earn $40,887 a year - if the board asks other employees to do the same. That hasn't happened, Olson said.

She thinks lawmakers are trying to deflect attention from their failure to find other sources of revenue. The Legislature has left a $500 million hole in the current budgets of school districts statewide. Hillsborough alone could face a $55 million deficit this fiscal year.

"Would I give up my salary today? No," Olson said. "I think we need to look at a huge range of things. Everything is on the table."

Initially, she and other board members were not supposed to have a choice. Sen. Stephen Wise, a Jacksonville Republican who is chairman of the Senate's PreK-12 Appropriations Committee, sought to cut school board pay by 5 percent.

"We took a 5 percent cut," said Wise, referring to a cut lawmakers took in 2008.

Salaries of board members statewide range from $23,116 to $40,932. Even if they all took a pay cut, the money would cover only a fraction of the budget hole deepening across Florida.

Hillsborough County School Board member Jennifer Faliero said some lawmakers are trying to make a statement.

"We haven't cut anyone else's pay," she said. "It seems to be somebody taking a cheap shot."

Wayne Blanton, the executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, said he sought a compromise with Wise: letting school board members decide.

Wise relented but said he hopes some board members will volunteer. "In this kind of economy," he said, "their leadership is extremely important."

Reporter Catherine Dolinski contributed to this report. Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285.

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