Detroit school board salary bill draws ire

Cushingberry says pay of up to $61K would help create more skilled group; board official balks.

Jennifer Mrozowski / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- A Detroit state representative introduced legislation this week that would allow the Detroit school board members to approve salaries for themselves of up to $61,890.30, but even the board vice president thinks it could be a bad idea.

"There's no question that we put a lot of time into it and don't get paid, except for $30 a meeting," said Vice President Joyce Hayes-Giles, who chairs the board's finance committee. "But if the district is expected to pay, I can't support it. I'd rather see (the money) go to instruction."

According to the proposed bill, the board members could approve an amount not to exceed 90 percent of what Wayne County commissioners make. Their base salary is $68,767.

State Rep. George Cushingberry Jr., D-Detroit, who introduced the bill, said giving board members salaries would help create a more professional school board and draw more candidates.

"Right now, you have to have retired, unemployed or otherwise wealthy people to serve on the school board," he said.

Hayes-Giles, who is an executive at DTE Energy, and other board members acknowledged that $30 per meeting doesn't cover expenses, including gas. But the district is too financially strapped to cover salaries for board members, she said.

The district is projecting a budget shortfall in excess of $110 million next school year. Its budget is about $1.3 billion.

Board members Marie Thornton and Annie Carter said an increase in the per-meeting stipend would help. Thornton, Carter and board member Ida Short said they spend dozens of hours a week attending meetings, taking calls, filling out paperwork, traveling to schools and researching policies.

But comments on Michiganvotes.org, a Web site run by the conservative think tank Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which posts visitor comments on Michigan legislation, show little support for the idea.

"There is absolutely no reason for Detroit school board members to make that kind of money," one comment said.

Another wrote: "This is supposed to be community service, not a paid position -- no retirement, no benefits and certainly no $65K per year."

Cushingberry said an annual salary could prevent backroom deals.

"When you have over $1 billion in public funds involved, you want the attention to be not on how many deals you can make," he said.

You can reach Jennifer Mrozowski at (313) 222-2269 or jmrozowski@detnews.com.