School board members at dozens of California districts have voted to increase their own pay by thousands of dollars per year after a 2025 law raised trustee compensation limits for the first time in 41 years.
In the first six months of the year, Elk Grove Unified School District trustees raised their monthly stipends by 500% to $4,500. Trustees in the Beverly Hills, Oceanside, Orange, Carlsbad, Escondido and Antioch school districts increased their pay by 400%.
Effective this year, Assembly Bill 1390, raised the cap on board stipends to between $600 and $4,500 a month, depending on student enrollment. Previously, school district trustees could earn between $60 and $1,500 monthly stipends for their service, in what are typically considered part-time jobs. The law also allows school boards to increase their stipend 5% annually, even if it reaches beyond the maximum rate…