This is yet another side effect of a law that was rushed through for Curtis and Walker. This bill was horrible and the students are going to suffer. I seriously doubt that Tracy Cowdell is going to donate this to charity. He was one of the biggest backers of the split.

Who cares about education? Show me the money!!!

The Jordan board is in it for the money. There should never have been a doubt.

Whether money is donated to charity or not completely misses the point. I thought both districts had many financial demands: newer buildings, air conditioning, smaller class size, etc. If this is true, why are they helping themselves to the money first? Shouldn't they see to the needs of the district first? And don't the other Utah school boards manage to do that for 3,000 a year instead of 24,000?

Donating salary to charity or not completely misses the point. I thought both districts were going to need to address many financial demands: remodeling old buildings, air conditioning, smaller class size, etc. Shouldn't school board mmebers address the needs of their districts before helping themselves to more money? And don't other Utah school boards manage their work on 3,000 a year instead of 24,000?

It seems that some of our school board members have totally lost sight that they are elected officials NOT paid staff. They knew what was involved when they ran for this office but they are acting like they are the Board Of Directors for Exxon in thinking it is appropriate to consider $24,000 for this position. Actually Exxon Board members don't get this much compensation even!!!

Kudos to Ellen Wallace (as always she keeps her ethics) and Sherrill Taylor!!!

It is not like they are stealing from children. They are only doing what the legislature has been doing for decades to Utah's kids.

Hey wait a minute.....

They ARE stealing from children. Thanks a lot legislature for making another wonderful law for education. Idiots. And they probably will all be voted back in next election.

This is the same School Board that cut employees' retirement benefits two years ago. I don't think the "me first" attitude is a good one for School Board members to have. And don't elected officials sometimes vote raises for themselves that only take effect after the next election? That might have been a better approach. This sounds more like business consultants than "public servants."

Jordan District teachers are not the highest paid in the state, so why are our School Board members paid higher than any others?

Tracy Cowdell said he would not take the stipends. Hmmm....so he's changed his mind? That says a lot about his character.

In light of the district split and since neither board knows what kind of money they will end up with, I'm appauled that ANY of the members of the new school boards are taking money at all. It would have been a wonderful gesture (for all 14 of them) to forego their salaries until they actually have students and employees.

I read somewhere that school board members also get their health insurance at no cost. Most school employees pay $300 to $400 a month for their insurance. So much for public service. No wonder so many candidates ran for these positions.

It seems the Board members wanted a split district so they could double their salaries. It is a oiutrageous conflict of interest to have the same Board members on the two District Boards. The concern when there was one district was it was too large to handle efficiently and effectively. What will the difference be when they try to handle two - -the two will be the same size as the one and have double the issues. If size and work load was the reason for the split then the solution is not to have the same Board members on both Boards. How could any competant Board member think they could run two different districts without it being a BIG BIG conflict of interest.

As far as being paid to sit on both Boards....
absolutely not. They should be ashame of themselvesa asking for more money when in the past few years they have diminished the benefiots of their teachers in the district.

Health Insurance at no cost is not available to board members. There was a (short) time when the JSD board chose to have that as a benefit, but wisely removed it before it was implemented.

To you others: Of course they shouldn't be paid. All board members should be independently wealthy and especially wise and skilled in education - others need not apply/run! LOL!!! On 2nd thought, perhaps they really only need to be rich 'cause from some of the comments on here, it's not too hard to qualify for the "wise and skillful" part.

Really! Starting up/revamping a new/existing district is a very time-consuming task. If you were to take actual hours spent over the next few years and get an hourly rate for most of the board members, I think you'd find most don't make what McDonald's pays.

Check your facts. In July 2007, Jordan School District Board members contemplated taking cash in lieu of their long-time insurance benefit, and, in fact, voted unanimously (Yes, even Ellen Wallace) in favor of the proposal that included quadrupling their stipend. They later (after public outcry) re-thought the idea of cash for insurance but left the $1000 per month stipend in place. Board Members' stipend has always gone together with the benefit of the premier insurance package offered to Jordan School District employee at NO COST to Board Members. In other words, Board Members pay nothing (no portion of the premium) for their insurance benefit.

In my view, each Board Member asked voters to SERVE not for a part- or full-time job. Those Board Members currently sitting on two boards should take ONE stipend (I don't really care that Randy Brinkerhoff says he's worn out a car). The idea of giving one stipend to charity is laughable Mr. Cowdell. The money is public to begin with.

I look forward to July 1, 2009 and perhaps an end to this long saga otherwise known as the "creation of a new school district."

According to the District website, certificated employees pay $6800 (over 30%) of the $17.456 preferred insurance preferred plan for a family. School Board members don't pay any premium, and they are probably all on the district's insurance. So that makes $24,000 plus a $17.000 insurance plan ($41,000)for those four or so who are serving on two boards and accepting two full stipends. A lot of the full-time teachers don't make that much!

Possibly all elected officials need their compensations set by an outside, impartial commission that takes into account their duties, hours, size of district, etc. That way nobody could be feathering their own nest.

What kind of leadership would $50,000 buy? Why doesn't the School Board go for that?

One could possibly make the argument that the east side board members are doing double duty (by serving on an existing district board and a newly created one-with heavier time demands) and, therefore, deserve to be treated as such.

The west side board members, however, are a huge disappointment. They are truly double dipping. The existing JSD and the west side (remaining after the split) school district, are essentially the same district. That they would feel it appropriate to pocket the extra cash speaks volumes.

Evensteven. You must be related to Curtis and Cullimore. This District split is the biggest disaster to hit Utah since Norm B. pumps back in the 1980's. This split had no planning and was un-democratic in the way it was implemented. The West Side never got a vote on the matter. This whole mess should be stopped by Gov. Huntsman getting the Legislature to call a Special Session and putting it on hold. Cullimore, Dolan, and Curtis developed this split in Diet Coke filled back rooms. The mayors and Curtis even handpicked candidates for the Board. Curtis had his own wife run and she was endorsed by Cullimore (brother-in-law), Dolan, Niederhauser and Nancy Workman. Workman even endorsed Ms. Curtis on letterhead from the Sandy Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has never before endorsed a political candidate. These Board Members and their hand picked superintendent who was also on the Transition Team need to give all their money back!! The whole thing is a disaster!!!