MARSHALL — This week, the Marshall Public School Board approved a new salary and pay structure for board members. Instead of filling out individual claims for a $50 monthly salary, in the future school board members will receive a $3,000 annual salary spread out over 24 paychecks.

The changes were discussed at a board work session in April.

“Board pay comes up every year, we just really haven’t discussed it or changed it in as long as I can remember,” MPS Superintendent Jeremy Williams said at Monday’s meeting. “The executive committee, we started a conversation a few months back, just looking at what other districts are doing, and having some conversation about that piece.”

In a separate action Monday, the board also approved increased pay rates for certified substitute teachers.

Board pay approved

The proposal to change how school board members are paid came before the board for action on Monday. The new annual salaries for board members would be $3,000 a year, with the board chair receiving $3,300 a year.

Board members could also receive a per diem stipend for attending conferences or training outside of school board meetings, work sessions and committee meetings. The proposed per diem rates were $200 for a full day of four hours or more, or $100 for four hours or less. Board members would need to fill out a per diem document and submit it to the MPS payroll department to receive this pay.

“What’s the plan about how this will get reviewed going forward?” asked school board member Anne Marie Vorbach.

“Every January it’s an agenda item at our organizational meeting, so we’ll make sure there’s a conversation at that point,” Williams said.

Board members voted to approve the new pay structure.

Substitute pay to increase

On Monday, the school board also approved new pay rates for certified substitute teachers. The item was included in part of the board’s consent agenda, and was not discussed separately during the meeting.

Agenda packet materials said MPS was proposing to increase pay for certified substitute teachers from $150 for a full day of teaching and $75 for a half day, to $160 for a full day and $80 for a half day. MPS Director of Business Services Dion Caron said the change would help keep the district’s rates for substitute teachers competitive.

The school district’s pay for certified substitute teachers has gradually increased over the past five years. In 2019, the pay rate was $130 for a full day of teaching, and $65 for a half day.

The new rates for certified substitute pay will take effect July 1. Caron said pay for non-certified substitute teachers follows a probationary rate for each job, that automatically sets pay increases each year.