FRANKLIN
The members of the Franklin City School Board intend to vote on a resolution at their next board meeting on Sept. 20 that requests City Council increase each board member’s salary.

According to a memorandum from City and School Board Attorney H. Taylor Williams IV to the members of council, the last time the city’s School Board received a salary increase was in 2004.

Currently, the city’s charter specifies that the chairman of the Franklin City School Board be paid an annual salary of $4,050, with all other members earning $2,560. It further mandates that the annual compensation paid to any member shall not exceed the sum of $4,000 and that the annual compensation paid to the chairman not exceed $5,000. The School Board has proposed amending the city’s charter to allow each board member to earn $5,000 and the chairman, $6,000.

The proposed rates would make Franklin City Public Schools’ compensation to board members equal to that offered by Isle of Wight County Schools. By comparison, Southampton County also offers its school board members $5,000 annually, with the chairman earning $5,300. Surry County offers $5,000 for board members and no increase for the chairman, and Suffolk offers $10,000 for board members and $12,000 for the chairman.

Virginia Code 22.1-32(F)(2) mandates that any change in salaries for members of a school board associated with a city or town be done prior to Dec. 31 and take effect the following year. For school board members appointed or elected prior to June 30, the raises would take effect on July 1, and for members appointed or elected after June 30, the raises would take effect on Jan. 1.

If the school board votes in favor of requesting the raise and that request is ultimately granted by the City Council, the money will come from the School Board’s funds.