FILE:  BBBE

Cf:  DJD

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES

The Richland Parish School Board shall provide an expense allowance and provide for expense reimbursement for its members in accordance with state law.  School Board members shall also be authorized to receive reimbursement for mileage going to and from meetings as well as reimbursement for actual travel and related expenses outside the jurisdictional boundaries of the School Board while on official School Board business, all in accordance with School Board policy.

Any action increasing the compensation for School Board members shall require a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the total membership.  Before any action is taken, however, the School Board shall advertise the time and place where the meeting is to be held to consider the expense allowance in the official journal of the School Board on at least two (2) separate days during the fifteen (15) days immediately preceding such meeting.

The President of the School Board shall be entitled to receive one additional per diem allowance in his/her capacity as President.  Members of the Executive Committee may also receive one additional per diem per month, provided however, an executive committee member attending an executive committee meeting and a board meeting on the same day shall not receive compensation for the executive committee meeting.

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS' ABSENCE AT MEETINGS

A School Board member shall be allowed to miss eight (8) regularly-scheduled monthly meetings during a term of office without penalty.  Any member who exceeds eight (8) absences shall forfeit $100 for each unexcused subsequent absence.  Excused absences shall include:

• Death of immediate family member
  
  

• Hospitalization of the School Board member or an immediate family member
  
  

• Surgery of the School Board member or an immediate family member
  
  

• Official School Business

Following the ninth (9th) absence, the School Board member shall provide written documentation for the absence to the President of the School Board.  The Finance Committee shall determine whether the excuse is valid.  If valid, no other action by the School Board is required.  If ruled invalid, the School Board member's salary shall be reduced by $100 per absence.  If a School Board member fails to provide an excuse to the President prior to the next regularly ­scheduled monthly meeting, the $100 penalty shall be automatically assessed.

In the event that a new School Board member is appointed or elected to fill a vacancy on the School Board, this policy shall be applied to the new member for the remainder of the unexpired term of office on a pro-rata basis.

Immediate familyincludes spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, father/mother-in-law, son/daughter-in-law, or a person domiciled with and being cared for by the School Board member.

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:56, 17:81

Board minutes, 10-14-03, 10-12-04, 11-12-13, 9-10-19

Richland Parish School Board