The Hamilton County school board voted to give each member a $3,000 allowance for professional development opportunities and related travel expenses.
Potential activities for which the allowance could be used include participating in school board conferences, workshops and conventions held by the Tennessee School Boards Association, as well as local and district-sponsored training sessions for the 11 board members.
The panel voted 7-3 at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting to approve the board development budget. School Board Members Larry Grohn, R-East Ridge, Rhonda Thurman, R-Hixson, and Joe Wingate, R-Chattanooga, voted against the policy. School Board Member Faye Robinson, R-Ooltewah, was absent.
“I’m one of the ones who’s probably used the least of this. That’s not a pro,” said School Board Member Marco Perez, an independent from Signal Mountain. “As a community, you should hold me accountable to doing everything I can to learn about how to do my job effectively.”