School Board Talks Benefits or No Benefits for Board Members

Debates surfaced among school board members on whether they should receive health benefits, a topic that was brought up during a budget workshop held on Tuesday night.

Disagreements began when board member Nancy Thomas presented the idea that board members should no longer participate in health benefits provided by

The request stems from discussions within a subcommittee that includes Thomas and fellow board member Janice Schaefer.

Thomas said in an email message that three board members agreed to take up an agenda item that would consider cutting back or eliminating their benefits at a board meeting held earlier this year.

To ease the board members from district health benefits, the proposal would mean each board member would contribute 20 percent toward his or her health plan starting next year, according to Thomas.

Each year for the next five years, the percentage of a board member’s contribution to his or health insurance would increase by 20 percent.

New board members would not be offered medical, dental and vision plans through this proposal, according to Thomas.

The reasoning behind the proposal is that being a board member is not a full-time job, Thomas said.

Schaefer added, "It’s not a primary profession. We need to cut what we need to cut."

But the idea that serving on the school board is only a part-time ordeal did not sit well with board vice president Ray Rodriguez.

“Sometimes we do district (tasks), more than our other jobs,” said Rodriguez, who said board members often sacrifice time with their families to attend district-related functions and join other subcommittees as part of their board duties.

While Rodriguez emphasized that he did not run for the board for health benefits, he said eliminating the option entirely sends the wrong message to potential board candidates.

Board president Charles Mensinger said that while he agrees medical coverage should be phased out, the board itself must decide on what incentives board members should receive for serving the community.

Board members receive a monthly stipend of $252 and have access to full health benefits. Spouses and dependents of board members are also receiving coverage through those health benefits.

According to Thomas, the law require board member benefits to be capped at the same level as benefits for classified employees.

“(School) boards can decide on their own whether to allow board members to get benefits,” Thomas wrote in an email message to Newark Patch. “We allow it. Some districts, like Fremont, do not.”

Currently, two of the five board members have district-sponsored medical plans; two receive reimbursements for private plans; and one member does not participate in the district's medical plan, according to a document provided by Chief Business Officer Steven Shields.

All five members, however, participate in the district’s dental and vision coverage.

The district provides four different medical plans in which the district contributes up to $11,057.76 per year. Board members may choose among plans provided by PERS Choice, Kaiser, Blue Shield and PERS Care.

School Board Member Janice Schaefer said in an email message that there was a cap as to how much NUSD pays when it comes to board members benefits.

"Board members must pay back the difference," Schaefer wrote. "Vision and dental are mandated and paid through their $252 stipend, though that may be changing."

More School Board Budget Cuts Proposed

At the same workshop, Newark Schools Superintendent Kevin Harrigan proposed more service reductions that would cut the governing board's expenditures in the 2011-12 proposed budget by 10 percent from those in its 2010-11 budget.  

The proposed budget cuts include:

• Materials and Supplies budget reduced to $1,500-$6,000
• Conference Expense budget reduced to $500
• Printing Budget reduced to $250-$700
• Legal Services budget reduced to $2,000-$3,000
• Operational Contingency budget reduced to $1,250

The total of expenditures in the governing board's adopted budget for 2010-11 totaled $99,057. The proposed budget cuts would bring those expenditures down to $88,455 for 2011-12.

For general budget information, click here.