Amid objections from community members, the Orcutt Union School District Board of Trustees gave themselves a hefty pay hike that will more than quadruple their monthly compensation.

In a 4-1 vote, the board raised the maximum monthly trustee stipend from $252 to $1,200, with Liz Phillips casting the lone dissenting vote.

District staff said Assembly Bill 1390 ties compensation limits to the district’s average daily attendance and raised the amount board members may receive for the first time in more than 40 years.

Speakers Question District Priorities

More than 50 community members, including teachers and school staff, packed the meeting room at 500 Dyer St. in Orcutt on Wednesday evening. Many wore shirts or held signs reading “Students Thrive When Classified Work” while speakers urged trustees to reject the stipend increase.

“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean it’s right or you should do it,” said Brian Olmstead, whose wife works for the district. He argued that some classified employees make little more than minimum wage and do not receive health benefits, even as board members do.

Olmstead said the money would be better spent on student safety, including a cabinet-level safety director.

“If you question whether the district needs a safety director, you guys do,” he said. “You have a student that has either assaulted or injured at least 10 of your employees and nothing’s been done about it. You need a safety director.”

Shirley Juarez, president of the California School Employees Association’s Orcutt chapter, said her members have long been told that OUSD cannot match neighboring districts’ pay because it does not receive the same level of funding.

She questioned whether trustees should approve a larger increase for themselves than nearby district board members receive.

“CSEA is not diminishing the work that you do, and we’re not disputing the fact that everyone deserves a raise, including the board,” she said, “but the significance of the raise does not sit well. In fact, it really feels like a slap in the face.”

Monique Segura, president of the Orcutt Educators Association and a transitional kindergarten teacher at Alice Shaw Elementary, said she had “never been more disappointed” by an agenda item.

She then read a message from a union member who did not want to speak publicly. In the letter, the member wrote that the money would be better spent on reducing class sizes and increasing classroom aide support. Segura said the member relies on Covered California because she cannot afford the district’s health plan for her family.

“This feels deeply unfair and misaligned with the values we hold as a district,” Segura said.

Phillips, the only trustee to vote against the compensation increase, said she had never accepted board stipends and questioned whether a significantly larger monthly amount would attract people motivated by service. She said she agreed with commenters who argued the money could be better spent elsewhere in the district.

“When I became a board member 13 years ago, it’s where kids came first,” Phillips said. “Let’s remember that.”

Other Compensation Items Pass Unanimously

After approving the trustee stipend increase, the board quickly moved through the remaining compensation items. Joe Schmidt, assistant superintendent of human resources, introduced each item in turn before trustees approved them unanimously.

Those actions included 4% retroactive raises for classified employees represented by CSEA Orcutt Chapter 255 and certificated employees represented by the OEA, both effective July 1, 2025. The district also increased its health benefit contributions by $500 for individual coverage, $750 for two-party coverage and $1,000 for family coverage.

Trustees approved matching 4% raises for confidential employees, certificated and classified management, and contracted positions, including the assistant superintendents of educational services, business services and human resources.

The board’s final compensation action was ratifying an addendum to Superintendent Holly Edds’ contract, setting her salary for 2025-26 at $281,076.64.