The Fresno Unified School Board adopted a state-approved stipend change, more than doubling trustees’ monthly pay and generating barbs from the teachers union.

Earlier this month, trustees voted, 6-1, to increase their monthly stipend from $2,110 to $4,500, or $54,000 annually, starting Feb. 1.

“I don’t really see it as a raise. I see it is an adjustment,” Trustee Susan Wittrup said. “It was voted on by our legislators in Sacramento. In the district, we do align with (Education) Code, and that is Ed Code now.”

In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1390 into law, adjusting compensation for school board members — the first change in over 40 years. The compensation, based on average daily attendance, ranges from $600 to $4,500 monthly.

Related Story: Fresno Unified Trustees Will Get Automatic Raises on Tuesday

How Will Raises Affect District Budget?

The school board is responsible for policymaking, community engagement, and managing the district’s $1.9 billion budget.

Five of the seven trustees have chosen to accept the pay bump — shifting $143,500 yearly from the education budget to trustee pay.

Andy Levine gave the dissenting vote. He and Elizabeth Jonasson-Rosas have opted out of the stipend increase, GV Wire confirmed. They will continue to receive the previous stipend.

In December, Clovis Unified School District trustees, who manage a $689 million budget, approved a new board monthly pay cap: $1,500. This will direct $63,000 yearly from the budget to board member pay.

Additionally, their salary will increase alongside employee pay.

“(The board) basically created boundaries for themselves and future governing boards that said we don’t want to set a system up that the board is getting something that employees of the district are not getting and they did not want to rush to that cap,” a Clovis Unified spokesperson said.

Fresno Unified employs School Board liaisons work 17 hours a week, helping board members. The liaisons are paid at the level of an executive secretary — earning more than trustees — according to Wittrup, who chose to forgo a liaison for the past year.

Trustees Veva Islas, Keshia Thomas, and Valerie Davis did not return calls made by GV Wire seeking comment on the raises. Claudia Casares declined to comment.

Trustee Pay Compared to Other Elected Officials

School board trustees across the state typically make less than other elected officials.

“We’re expected to manage a two-billion-dollar budget. That’s in the same neighborhood as the city of Fresno’s budget,” Wittrup said. “If you want high quality school board members, you have to make it somewhat encouraging and enticement for them to want to run.”

The city of Fresno’s 2025-26 budget is $2.36 billion. In 2022, the council approved a salary increase for members, from $80,000 to $135,044 annually, in a 5-2 vote. The raise was set to take effect when a member was sworn in for a new term.

At the time, supporters of the decision shared similar reasoning as Fresno Unified trustees and the Assemblymember who wrote the bill increasing trustee pay. They said the raise would draw a higher caliber of candidates and serving on city council is a complex and demanding job.

Trustee Decision Generates Backlash

The Fresno Teachers Association shared news about the raises online, sparking outrage as many individuals labeled the move “ridiculous” and “tone-deaf.”

“In a moment where a lot of the conversation publicly is about cuts that are going to impact our students and the adults in the system … I do think that people in the community will see it as a tone-deaf action,” FTA President Manuel Bonilla said.

Currently, the district is looking to make $50 million in budget reductions over the next two school years.

Additionally, Bonilla took issue in the approach and response of some trustees, referring to comments made by Keisha Thomas who “(doesn’t) want anybody minimizing (my) opportunities.”

“I think that what the message that seems to be that ‘I’m going to get my cut, right, and I don’t want anybody to stop me,’” he said.

Thomas did not respond to request for comment.

FTA Executive Director Louis Jamerson made $410,733 in the last fiscal year, according to tax statements. The FTA represents about 4,000 members. Comparatively, Shannon Brown, executive director of the California Teachers Association, representing 310,000 members, made about $200,000 the year prior.

Bonilla did not return a call regarding his pay before publication of this story.

Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her, head of the third-largest school district in California, makes $404,775. She received a one-time payment of $11,565 and a 5% pay increase in June — a mere month after being appointed superintendent.

Clovis Unified Superintendent Corrine Folmer earns $286,760, serving about 43,660 students. There have been no changes in her compensation since she assumed the position in 2023.

Related Story: Despite $49M Deficit, Fresno Unified Gives Top Brass 5% Raise, 3% One-Time

FTA Previously Proposed Big Raise for Trustees

The FTA proposed a $3,000 monthly salary increase for trustees in 2023. At the time, this would have boosted trustee pay to about $4,800 monthly — a 160% raise.

“This is about a timing issue,” Bonilla said. “When we proposed that, we didn’t say that it happened all at once, right. There are different methods that this board could choose in order to eventually get to a particular number… I think the shocking component at current is the amount in which they’re doing it: 113%.”

But raises aren’t decided by the School Board or district, Wittrup said.

“You can’t negotiate a raise for board trustees, it’s determined at the state level, (education) code dictates what board school board trustees are paid,” she said. “(The FTA) did attempt to, you know, put that in as a bargaining piece in the negotiations. But of course, you can’t do that.”

Looming Pay Cut for Fresno Unified Trustees?

Fresno Unified’s declining enrollment and chronic student absenteeism could reduce trustee pay in the future.

A district spokesperson previously told GV Wire that “due to our current declining enrollment, we could potentially close 3-5 schools in the future, however, that would be our last resort. Other actions that we might first consider include program realignment and boundary changes.”

Jonasson-Rosas acknowledged the timing of the raises comes with the district battling budget challenges, but she said that supplying compensation commiserate with work is important.

But as the district’s average daily attendance continues to drop, trustee pay could change.

Fresno Unified projects ADA will drop below 60,000 by the 2027-28 school year — placing the district in a different compensation category. In that instance, trustee stipends would be capped at $3,000 per month.

California Legislation Drives Salary Change

Previous state law, untouched since 1984, capped trustee stipends at $1,500 per month for the largest districts and permitted a 5% yearly raise.

Trustees voted not to increase their stipend by 5% annually in 2001 but chose to resume the incremental increases in 2019. In 2025, trustees’ monthly pay increased by $100, equaling $25,327 per year.

“While the responsibilities of our school boards have grown exponentially in recent years, compensation limits have not been adjusted to reflect this reality,” said the bill’s author, Assemblymember José Luis Solache (D-Lynwood).

“AB 1390 will help boards with the financial capacity to modestly and responsibly increase their compensation — ensuring that opportunities to serve our students remain accessible to all Californians.”

This sentiment was echoed by Jonasson-Rosas, who is an executive at Westlands Water District in addition to serving on the school board. On average, she dedicates about 20 hours a week to trustee duties, including preparing for school board sessions, visiting school sites, speaking with constituents, and meeting with leadership, she said.

Some trustees devote even more time to the job. Wittrup, a retired Fresno Unified psychologist, said that she works 40 hours or more a week.

“It varies, but it can be a lot of hours, depending on your level of engagement,” she told GV Wire. “I don’t have another job, so this is my job. I consider it to be a full-time job.”