Board Pulls the Plug on Paying for MASB Training

The Saline Board of Education unanimously approved a motion to end funding for school board trustee training at Tuesday’s meeting.

The vote came after a 15-minute discussion which once again showed fracture in the board. In March, tension was evident in a discussion that resulted in the board extending trustee terms to six years.

At issue Tuesday was funding for the training provided to board members by the Michigan Association of School Boards.

Board President Lisa Slawson took the unusual step of moving a motion asking the district to place a hold on all future discretionary spending for school board members as it relates to MASB training.

“We’re all aware of how tough times are here. We’re asking our staff to sacrifice. I think it’s time we shared the sacrifice,” said Slawson. “I want to say to our staff that we value you so much and that’s why it is important for us to share the sacrifice.”

Several board members expressed surprise that newly elected Trustee David Zimmer had racked up a $1,135 in charges for MASB classes.

“I’m looking at this and I’m wondering how this happened. In the last two and a half months, Mr. Zimmer has incurred $1,135 in expenses. How did this happen?” asked Trustee Amy Cattell.

Zimmer said he was following actions. He said that in February the board it wanted to become an MASB “board of merit,” which means that every board member must take classes and be certified by the organization.

“In response to that, I took the classes and became a certified member,” Zimmer said.

“But that was to be within two years, Dave. Not too months,” Cattell said.

“It was asked to be achieved in 2012. That’s what you signed of on two minutes ago,” Zimmer answered, referring the goals/vision/strategic framework document approved earlier in the meeting.

“So this is fiscally responsible?” Cattell asked.

“It is consistent with the direction given by this board. It is consistent with policy adopted by the previous board in September. I am just doing what this board asked us to do,” Zimmer said.

Zimmer became the third trustee on the current board to be certified by the MASB, joining Slawson and Chuck Lesch. Todd Carter is one class short of being certified.

Since January 1, the district also reimbursed Carter $95 for one course. Cattell had taken a class, but it was paid for with a complimentary voucher. David Holden took a class costing $180 and reimbursed the district for the cost.

Holden said he’d like to see historical information, to learn how much the district has paid for MASB training of and past members.

“I’d like to see historical costs so that we can determine how much this costs and then the board can decide whether there is value in the training or not,” Holden said.

Holden went a step beyond Slawon’s motion by challenging board members to donate their meeting stipends back to the district or to the Foundation for Saline Area Schools.

“We’ve asked our bargaining units to make concessions and they’ve done that. We’ll probably ask them to do it again. I would like to see us as a board take action that our meeting stipends be donated back to the district,” Holden said.

Slawson said the board has talked about it the possibility in the past.

“Many board members have silently donated their stipends to student board member scholarships, the Foundation for Saline Area Schools and other organizations in the Saline Area Schools family,” Slawson said,

No motion was made on the stipend issue.

Trustee Craig Hoeft said he thought it was fine to shut down the reimbursements for the year and suggested the policy committee take up the matter.

“Maybe there needs to be a magic number out there so that we stop at a certain amount of classes per year unless that board members will pick it up himself,” Hoeft said. “I just think we’re getting a little stressed about this and it’s not that difficult.”

Zimmer said he felt the classes were worthwhile.

He also noted that since Lesch was leaning against returning to school board and , it was possible that he would be the only MASB-certified board member after the November election.