School board service is a public service, not a paid job

I have been following the discussion about a potential school board pay increase in your area with curiosity, as pay to be on a Board of Education is novel for me.

I sat on my school board in Pennsylvania for eight years. I would conservatively estimate that I and fellow board members donated at least 20 hours a week to fulfill our obligation to this elected position. This entailed continual piles of documents, homework and participation in pubic meetings to make informed decisions regarding educational and business matters.

We received no pay or financial remuneration for our efforts, not even mileage reimbursement. It was an honor to be able to help shape the future of the students that we worked for so that they could succeed in life and contribute to society in a positive manner. The reward in “public service” should be the results of your labor, not the salary for your wallet.

This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 7:59 AM with the headline "School board service is a public service, not a paid job."