Alpine School District board members may vote to double their pay.

Board members met in a two-hour work session before their regular meeting Tuesday night to discuss changing their own compensation.

The seven members are now paid $250 a month in addition to having free health insurance for them and their families, access to a laptop, compensation for mileage and home Internet services, and are paid an extra $60 to $90 per meeting for 12 additional meetings per year.

On Tuesday board members said they would like to add their compensation to an upcoming agenda, where they will debate doubling or even tripling their monthly stipend. They will also debate tying their pay to inflation so they would get annual cost-of-living raises. It was not clear how soon the debate would happen.

"I get hives when I talk about money," said board member Donna Barnes.

"A year ago the Legislature passed a law that allowed boards of education to determine their compensation, much like city councils throughout the state can determine theirs," said superintendent Vern Henshaw.

The board's pay has not been increased in at least 15 years, said board member Guy Fugal.

Board members each attend about 100 meetings a year, including committee meetings, trainings, weekly visits to schools and more, according to a summary of board activities prepared for Tuesday's meeting.

"Last week I probably spent 25 hours talking to people in the grocery stores about vouchers," Barnes said with a laugh. "But I wouldn't count that."

Board member Christine Hannemann said she learned long ago to shop for groceries in cities where people don't know her.

On average, members said they spend between 10 and 15 hours a week on board work. Board members compared their pay to Council members in Orem, who are paid $9,900 a year; Provo, who get $12,240 a year; and Bountiful, who get $7,800 per year, among others.

"I am already discouraged," said Barnes. "I didn't realize I had been to so many meetings. We don't do it for the money, but we put in a lot of hours."

Hannemann said she is scheduled to attend 11 meetings this month alone.

Hannemann and Barnes each said they had not even known that board members were paid when they first ran for their seats. Many local people who run are the same way, and increasing salaries would likely have little affect on drawing candidates for the board.

Board member Timothy Osborn said he would be okay doubling or tripling the pay. The money would help his family, with increasing gas prices and expenses, he said.

"It is not unreasonable to be remunerated," he said. "The key is what is fair and proper in today's society. That is a tough call. I don't go to work and tell them what I would like for a salary."

On the other hand, he often takes time off work to attend school district meetings, he said.

The position of board president should be paid more than the rest of the board because the time commitment is larger, Hannemann said.

Both Hannemann and Osborn said getting free health insurance from the school board for their families is significant compensation.

"It's like a $500 a month raise," said Osborn, who noted that is the amount it would cost his family to switch to the health care plan offered by his employer.

Henshaw said that for the past six years school board members have spent extra time visiting a different school each week "and I personally think that has paid off tremendous dividends," he said. "The board has made an effort to reach out to patrons and employees and be better connected and people appreciate it. Those things are beyond, well beyond, the call of duty."

Considering all the work done by the board, "I would say it is long overdue," Fugal said of a raise.