State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) announced Friday that he is filing legislation calling for pay equity for school board members in Tennessee. The legislation requires that pay and benefits for school board members be set at the same rate provided to individuals serving on the local governing body.
Currently, Tennessee law requires school board members be compensated at least $3.00 per meeting, with the governing body having the final say on how much is paid above that minimum amount. Several local school districts in Tennessee already set the rate of pay for school board members to be equal to the pay that the local governing body members receive. However, the majority of school boards are paid at a much lesser rate. This includes Hamilton County, which Gardenhire represents, where county commissioners receive approximately $25,394 per year plus benefits, as compared to the approximately $12,365 per year received by school board members.