Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
fairfax county school board salaries could nearly double/
Posted by:
TaxPayer
()
Date: March 16, 2015 05:16PM
http://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2015/03/in-fairfax-county-school-board-salaries-could-nearly-double/
WASHINGTON — Fairfax County is facing another tough budget year. The county still hasn’t rebounded from the recession, and the school board still needs to close a $14 million budget gap.
Meanwhile, the school board is looking to give itself a pay raise of a about 87 percent.
On Thursday, the board voted to advance a proposal for the salary increase. School board member Janie Strauss (Dranesville District) says: “We’ve not agreed to do it. We’ve simply agreed to put it on the agenda.”
Strauss says by putting it on the board’s agenda, the issue can be discussed publicly. Strauss says she has been on the school board for 22 years; during that time, there have only been two modest raises. She says she’s not sure how the final vote will turn out.
The actual measure will be voted on by the board on April 9. If the measure is approved, salaries would increase from $20,000 to $37,500 per year, with the board chairman getting an additional $2,000.
Under Virginia law, the school board can only ask for an increase within six months of an election year. In November, the entire 12-member board is up for reelection. If the raises are approved, they would take effect January 1, 2016. That’s when the new board would begin its term.
Currently, the school board’s makeup does not represent the makeup of Fairfax County.
“I am not sure that I will vote for the amount of pay increase that is likely to be put up for a vote,” Strauss says. “But I understand the problem.”
School board members worry that without the salary increase, they might not be able to attract more diverse candidates to run for a spot on the board.
The positions demand many hours of work even though the positions are considered part-time.
“On a light week, I put in maybe 20 to 25 hours,” Strauss concludes. “On heavier times of the year, it can be 30 to 40 hours.”
WASHINGTON — Fairfax County is facing another tough budget year. The county still hasn’t rebounded from the recession, and the school board still needs to close a $14 million budget gap.
Meanwhile, the school board is looking to give itself a pay raise of a about 87 percent.
On Thursday, the board voted to advance a proposal for the salary increase. School board member Janie Strauss (Dranesville District) says: “We’ve not agreed to do it. We’ve simply agreed to put it on the agenda.”
Strauss says by putting it on the board’s agenda, the issue can be discussed publicly. Strauss says she has been on the school board for 22 years; during that time, there have only been two modest raises. She says she’s not sure how the final vote will turn out.
The actual measure will be voted on by the board on April 9. If the measure is approved, salaries would increase from $20,000 to $37,500 per year, with the board chairman getting an additional $2,000.
Under Virginia law, the school board can only ask for an increase within six months of an election year. In November, the entire 12-member board is up for reelection. If the raises are approved, they would take effect January 1, 2016. That’s when the new board would begin its term.
Currently, the school board’s makeup does not represent the makeup of Fairfax County.
“I am not sure that I will vote for the amount of pay increase that is likely to be put up for a vote,” Strauss says. “But I understand the problem.”
School board members worry that without the salary increase, they might not be able to attract more diverse candidates to run for a spot on the board.
The positions demand many hours of work even though the positions are considered part-time.
“On a light week, I put in maybe 20 to 25 hours,” Strauss concludes. “On heavier times of the year, it can be 30 to 40 hours.”