This January, the members of the Orange Unified School District Board of Education gave themselves a massive 400% pay increase, raising their monthly stipend from $400 to $2,000.
From beginning to end, this naked cash grab has been a disturbing exercise in arrogance and contempt for the public.
The huge pay increase tucked into the consent calendar – meaning it would be publicly discussed unless one of the trustees requested it. Being politicians and naturally averse to drawing unwanted attention to unseemly actions, none of the trustees “pulled” the item for public discussion. That failure deprived their constituents of the opportunity to hear why their elected school board representatives feel they are entitled to a humongous pay hike while OUSD in the midst of a fiscal crisis…