School Board members can vote on their own salaries, based on state recommendations. But many feel uncomfortable doing so.
By REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published December 1, 2003
It's that time again, and Pasco County School Board members are cringing.
On Tuesday, the five board members will vote on whether to give themselves an $800 raise to earn $33,706 for the next 12 months - $2,706 more than a first-year teacher.
This is the second time Florida school boards have had to adopt their own salaries in public meetings, a charge given to them by the Legislature after it decided to stop setting the raises for them as it does with other officials such as county commissioners, tax collectors and sheriffs.
"Part of me gets so angry with the Legislature," said board member Marge Whaley, who is undecided about how to vote Tuesday. "It was a punishment."
The district's almost 4,000 teachers received average raises this year of slightly more than 2 percent. The proposed Pasco County School Board member raise, as recommended county by county under a formula set by the Florida School Boards Association, comes in at about 2.4 percent.
School Board president Jean Larkin Weightman said it's not an increase she can sign off on. Weightman said she plans to vote against any board raises this year. And if she loses on the vote, she said she plans to return the increase to the district's budget.
"I don't want to do for myself what we can't do for our employees," she said. "I don't feel I personally can take a pay raise this year when we can't do more for our employees who work so hard for so little"
With 57,000 students, Pasco County is the fifth-fastest growing district in the state. And as the 13th largest in the state, its School Board salaries are recommended by the Florida School Boards Association to be the 13th highest.
Board member Kathleen Wolf said that although she is torn over whether to grant herself a raise, the position is a time-consuming one that is worthy of pay. She said that in a district Pasco's size she would reject the argument of making school boards honorary positions.
"I've been at this long enough to know it's not a part-time job," Wolf said.
School Board salaries in surrounding counties are $37,426 in Hillsborough, $29,208 in Hernando and $37,085 in Pinellas.
According to a district-by-district breakdown, only 17 of the state's 67 districts last year veered from approving the salaries recommended by the Florida School Boards Association. In each of those cases, the boards instead opted to give themselves less than the suggested raise.
- Rebecca Catalanello covers education in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6241 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6241. Her e-mail address is rcatalanello@sptimes.com
