Jordan school board's raise ignites a firestorm of protest

"I think it's a natural reaction of people to be interested and concerned in district resources. I just don't know if people understand the role, function and responsibility of board members and the magnitude of time and energy and responsibility that board members carry. So with respect to the compensation itself, I feel very comfortable and feel the compensation is appropriate and long overdue."

Others feel the same.

The Alpine Board of Education has asked its staff to research compensation for area city council members for upcoming discussions on the matter, President Debbie Taylor said.

"When we go to national conventions, we hear a school (board member) in Florida getting $60,000 a year, and ... they still have other careers," Taylor said, adding she's speaking for herself and not necessarily for the board. "There's a lot of sacrifice made in public service. You're on the front lines, you're on duty whether you're in line at the supermarket or at the baseball game."

School board work is changing in the rapidly growing Washington County.

"As school districts grow, and the laws become more complex and have all the federal programs and the state programs, it's beginning to become a full-time job," Washington Board of Education President Wes Christiansen said.

The Washington board meets once for about seven hours, and then two or three times more each month for hiring interviews and work meetings, Christiansen said.

The board is researching what other public servants make — St. George City Council members receive $14,000 a year, plus insurance benefits; Washington City Council members get $18,000 but no insurance, Christiansen said — to aid its compensation talks.

"I'm pretty sure it will be on the agenda, at least for a work session ... within the next three board meetings," Christiansen said.

Meanwhile, Ogden, Weber and Davis district officials say their boards have not discussed pay. Davis board members already get $3,000 a year, plus another $350 a month, or $4,200 a year, for expenses and compensation for additional board work, spokesman Chris Williams said.

Weber board members receive their annual pay in $250-a-month payments and must pay for 13 percent of their district health insurance, if they want it, spokesman Nate Taggart said.

Park City also has no pay hikes in mind. In fact, last year, amid budgetary constraints, the board considered a pay cut, President Kim Carson said.

"It's extremely low pay and seems that with additional meetings ... it probably ends up costing us," Carson said. "We do it as a service to our community primarily. ... We'd like to try to find ways to make our meetings more efficient, rather than compensate ourselves for additional meetings."

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