Cobb Board of Education members haven’t had a pay raise since 2003, and they won’t be getting another one anytime soon.
The board voted 4-3 Thursday against a proposal by school board member David Morgan of South Cobb to ask the legislature for a $3,800 annual boost in their salaries.
Voting with Morgan was Charisse Davis, who represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters, and David Banks, who represents the Pope and Lassiter clusters.
School board members receive $19,000 a year in compensation; the board chairman, who has additional duties on behalf of the board, is paid $22,800.
Morgan was seeking requests to push pay to $22,800 for board members and $26,600 for the chairman.
“We deserve a pay raise,” Morgan said, rattling off increased responsibilities, duties and appearances for board members. “I believe this in the bottom of my heart.”
Morgan’s comments came at a school board work session Thursday afternoon, where Banks suggested that board pay raises occur as they are given to Cobb County School District staff and teachers.
No other board member engaged him on that subject, and Banks didn’t bring it up again at the Thursday night business meeting before the vote.
The Georgia General Assembly must approve salary increases for school board members, and Morgan’s proposal was a “one-time” matter he wanted the board to take to State Sen. David Wilkerson, chairman of the Cobb legislative delegation.
Information presented at the work session indicated that in the metro Atlanta area, only DeKalb County school board members are paid more than Cobb, whose scale is on par with Fulton County.
Voting against the pay raise resolution was David Chastain, the outgoing board chairman who represents the Kell and Sprayberry clusters.
Morgan and Banks, who are nearing the end of their third terms, have the most seniority on the board. Both will be up for re-election in 2020 and they have drawn primary opposition.
South Cobb community activist Tre Hutchins has declared his Democratic candidacy for the Post 3 seat held by Morgan.
In Banks’ Post 5, Republican candidates Robert Madayag and Matt Harper have said they’re running.
Also on Thursday, the school board voted 7-0 to approve a resolution asking district officials to prepare a $100 million short-term loan against SPLOST collections for 2020 construction, maintenance and technology projects.
The board is expected to finalize the loan request at its January meeting.
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They have not earned an increase because Vocational courses are not offered, Common Core methodology is taught and Christianity has been replaced with Muslim cult methodology! I’m a grandfather just catching up to this liberal environment of which I do not approve! Not every kid is going to college! The Board has failed those who will not!