FILE:  B-15

Cf:  A-5

 

SCHOOL BOARD ETHICS

 

 

Recognizing that as a member of a public School Board and that each Central Community School Board member is filling a position of public trust, responsibility, and authority endowed by the State of Louisiana, the Central Community School Board, individually and collectively, shall subscribe to the principles of the Louisiana School Boards Association, by which a School Board member should be guided.

 

In addition, certain actions of elected officials may be considered improper, and in some circumstances, illegal.  Actions which may present a conflict of interest, acceptance of gifts, or solicitations, or gratuities, abuse of authority of office or position, and decisions regarding the employment of a family member of an official are all subject to statutory restrictions.  The ethical conduct of School Board members, as well as other designated officials, shall be in accordance with state law.

 

All School Board members and employees shall be notified of any changes to the School Board Ethics policy and documentation shall be maintained of the notifications.  In addition, all School Board members and employees shall attest annually through electronic signature verification that they have read the School Board Ethics policy.

 

ETHICS EDUCATION AND TRAINING

 

All School Board members and employees shall be required to receive a minimum of one (1) hour of education and training on the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics annually.  Education and training shall be provided by employees of the Louisiana Board of Ethics or others authorized to provide such training by the Louisiana Board of Ethics, and shall be administered through seminars or via the Internet.

 

GIFTS

 

Acceptance of personal gifts by any School Board member or employee of the Central Community School Board from persons or firms doing business with the School Board, or any department or school thereof, shall be prohibited.  Reduced cost and/or free travel expenses are also defined as gifts with regard to this policy provision.  This policy provision does not preclude acceptance of food, drinks, or refreshment of a social nature or participation in a social event, provided the value of the food, drink, or refreshment does not exceed that amount permitted under state law.  It also shall not preclude the acceptance of campaign contributions for use in meeting campaign expenses by any employee or School Board member who is or becomes a candidate for election to any public office.

 

NEPOTISM

 

No member of the immediate family of shall be employed in his/her agency.  No member of the immediate family of a member of a School Board or the Superintendent shall be employed by the School Board, with limited exception as outlined below.

 

The provisions above shall not prohibit the continued employment of any public employee nor shall it be construed to hinder, alter, or in any way affect normal promotional advancements for such public employee where a member of a public employee's immediate family becomes the agency head of such public employee's agency, provided that such public employee has been employed in the agency for a period of at least one year prior to the member of the public employee's immediate family becoming the agency head.

 

Exceptions

 

Any School Board member or Superintendent whose immediate family member is employed, or who may be employed, by the School Board as excepted below shall recuse himself/herself from any decision involving the promotion or assignment of teaching or service location of such employee.

 

  1. Any member of the immediate family of any School Board member or the Superintendent may be employed as a classroom teacher provided that such family member is certified to teach or is temporarily authorized to teach while pursuing certification.

  2. Any immediate family member of a member of the School Board or the Superintendent who has been employed pursuant to paragraph 1 above for at least one year may be promoted to an administrative position, provided that such family member has the appropriate qualifications and certifications for the promotional position.  For the purposes of such promotions, the term certifications shall not include any temporary or provisional certification or certifications.

  3. Any School Board with a student enrollment population of four thousand nine hundred fifty (4,950) or less may employ any member of the immediate family of any School Board member as a school electrician provided that such family member has at least twenty (20) years of experience as an electrician.

  4. The School Board may employ an immediate family member of an athletic director of a school as a coach at such school.

  5. An immediate family member of an athletic director of a school may be employed as a coach at such school.

  6. Any member of the immediate family of any School Board member or of the Superintendent may be employed as a school bus operator provided that such family member is certified as a school bus operator.

 

ABUSE OF OFFICE

 

No School Board member, Superintendent, or employee shall use the authority of his/her office or position, directly or indirectly, in a manner intended to compel or coerce any person or other public servant to provide himself/herself, any other public servant, or other person with any thing of economic value.

 

No School Board member, Superintendent, or employee shall use the authority of his/her office or position, directly or indirectly, in a manner intended to compel or coerce any person or other public servant to engage in political activity.

 

No School Board member shall act in an individual capacity to use the authority of his/her office or position as a member of the School Board in a manner intended to interfere with, compel or coerce any personnel decision, including the hiring, promotion, discipline, demotion, transfer, discharge, or assignment of work to any school employee.

 

No School Board member shall use the authority of his/her office or position as a member of the School Board in a manner intended to interfere with, compel, or coerce any school employee to make any decision concerning benefits, work assignment, or membership in any organization.

 

FEDERAL GUIDELINES:  CONFLICT OF INTEREST

 

In addition to other ethics provisions, in receiving federal funds the School Board shall ensure compliance with federal guidelines covering conflict of interest and governing the actions of officers and employees engaged in the selection, award and administration of contracts.  No employee, officer, or agent shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by federal funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest would be involved.  Such a conflict may arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in, or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract.  The officers, employees, and agents of the School Board shall neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to contracts.

 

Employees and volunteers shall be required to report any actual, possible, or perceived conflict of interest which they or others have, or may have, to their immediate supervisor as soon as they become aware of the conflict.  A School Board member shall report the perceived conflict of interest to the Superintendent and School Board attorney.

 

Anyone who engages in activities that violate these provisions, including failure to disclose a conflict of interest, may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment, and/or other appropriate sanctions.

 

DEFINITIONS

 

Agency means a department, office, division, agency, commission, board, committee, or other organizational unit of a governmental entity.  For public servants of political subdivisions, it shall mean the agency in which the public servant serves, except that for members of any governing authority and for the elected or appointed chief executive of a governmental entity, it shall mean the governmental entity.

 

Agency head means the chief executive or administrative officer of an agency or any member of a board or commission who exercises supervision over the agency.

 

Immediate family as the term relates to a public servant means his/her children, the spouses of his/her children, his/her brothers and their spouses, his/her sisters and their spouses, his/her parents, his/her spouse, and the parents of his/her spouse.

 

Public servant means a public employee or an elected official.

 

Revised:  January 11, 2016 Revised:  September 12, 2022
Revised:  July 25, 2016 Revised:  July 10, 2023
Revised:  November 8, 2021  

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง17:81, 17:428, 42:62, 42:1101, 42:1102, 42:1112, 42:1115, 42:1115.1, 42:1116, 42:1119, 42:1120, 42:1121, 42:1123, 42:1170

Board minutes, 1-11-16, 7-25-16, 11-8-21, 9-12-22, 7-10-23

 

Central Community School Board