The Manitowoc Public School Board will not allow members to get a stipend.
The board voted 5-2 on Tuesday (March 11th) against creating a $2,500 salary for board members and $3,000 salary for the board president.
The issue was brought back up by Board Member Keith Shaw after not getting a response from everyone on the board.
Board Member Tony Vlastelica says that board work is a commitment and that MPSD is one of only a few districts statewide that don’t get paid for the work they do.
Shaw said if the salary passed, board members didn’t have to take it.
“Because it’s offered doesn’t mean you’re going to take it,” he described. “But at least it’s offered to us for maybe a parent that has to do daycare or childcare or respite care for the elderly so they can participate on the school board.”
There was also an amendment to the stipend that would require current board members to not be allowed to accept it.
However, other board members, including “Biff” Hansen, said they don’t agree with the salary not only because being a school board member is a community service to him, but the district is working on some big projects.
“We are in a situation where we’re going to spend millions, tens of millions, in the next couple of years to try and fix buildings to figure out what we’re doing here,” he exclaimed. “And maybe after that’s done, I’ll say yeah we should do this.”
Five other board members agreed and voted no with Hansen.
Shaw and Vlastelica were the only ones who voted yes.
