Senate approves bill to update optional stipends for school board members

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Regina Goodwin has received Senate approval for a bill to update the stipend school districts can opt to provide to school board members for attending board meetings. Under the provisions of Senate Bill 63, the stipend, which has not been updated since 1972, would be raised from $25 up to $190 per meeting for up to four meetings each month.

“Under current law, school districts are not required to offer a stipend – for those that do, this change reflects what that $25 stipend would be 54 years later when you adjust for inflation,” said Goodwin, D-Tulsa.

SB 63 next moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, is the principal House author.

“The people who step up to serve on school boards are taking time away from their own lives and families to serve on behalf of our students, teachers, and patrons,” Goodwin said. “This is a long-overdue update to our statutes, and again, it is not mandatory for any district to offer the increase. I hope the House will join the Senate in giving school districts the ability to update the stipend amounts for their dedicated, hard-working school board members.”

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For more information, contact: Sen. Regina Goodwin at 405-521-5598 or Regina.Goodwin@oksenate.gov