School trustees vote 3-2 to raise their monthly stipend to $1,200 starting in January

Pleasanton Unified's trustees will be paid $1,200 a month starting Jan. 1, up from $463, after a split vote at Thursday's board meeting, the Pleasanton Weekly reported Monday.

Board President Kelly Baehr and trustees Laurie Walker and Charlie Jones voted for the increase. Mary Jo Carreon and Justin Brown voted no.

The change is possible because of Assembly Bill 1390, which took effect Jan. 1, 2026, and raised the ceiling on school board stipends to between $600 and $4,500 a month depending on enrollment, according to the Weekly. With about 13,000 students, Pleasanton's board could have gone as high as $2,000. Baehr had first floated a range of $1,600 to $1,800 before settling on $1,200.

Why the majority voted yes

Supporters said the old figure kept people with jobs and young families from running. "This isn't about personal gain but attracting potential candidates moving forward," Baehr said.

She told the board that as a single mother of two high schoolers, the extra money would help families like hers, and she noted that neighboring boards had recently raised their own pay, including Dublin Unified to $1,600 and Antioch Unified to $2,000.

"Representation should reflect the actual community," Jones said. "Working-class people should be able to serve in these seats as well, but low stipends create an environment that favors retirees and wealthy candidates."

He said the district's finances worried him when the idea first came up at a policy committee meeting in June, but that concern had eased because, by his account, the district should be financially solvent by early January.

Walker, who spoke last and cast the deciding vote, said she understood the timing concerns but believed a more reasonable stipend was called for.

Why others objected

Evan Branning, president of the Association of Pleasanton Teachers, spoke against the raise during his regular update to the board. He reminded trustees that staff had recently been through budget reductions, layoff notices and position cuts, and that the union and district have been bargaining for about a year and a half without settling salary and benefits.

"All we are asking is for you to make sure to prioritize today's dollars for today's students," Branning said.

Brown said he saw the case for fair pay but could not square it with the district's finances. "Either we have funds for ongoing cost increases, or we don't have funds for ongoing cost increases," he said. Carreon said the timing was wrong while teachers are still without a new contract.

"I cannot, at this time, support giving us a raise, and they have not got a raise," she said, adding that she would like the question to return alongside a teachers' agreement.

Two speakers, including longtime resident Bill Foley, backed the increase during public comment. Under the state law, boards may also raise stipends by 5% a year.

Sources

pleasantonweekly.com