Board Conduct, Ethics, and Conflict of Interest (Nepotism) BC
Revised 4-11-12 (Combined Policies BBF and BBFA)
Philosophy
Elected members of the South Sanpete Board of Education are representatives of the citizens of the District. As such, they shall strive to interpret the needs and attitudes of the community and translate them into education policy and recommendations with, honesty, and integrity. In so doing, the Board has all of the powers, privileges, and authority granted to school boards under Utah Law. The Board recognizes District Administration as an arm of the Board and delegates to the Administration the responsibility for administering the school system in keeping the policies and directives established by the Board.
Policy
In order to better serve the citizens, employees, and students of South Sanpete School District, the South Sanpete Board of Education shall perform their duties in accordance with the code of conduct and ethics to avoid conflict of interest situations.
Conduct and Ethics
1. Integrity
A. Represent all school district constituents honestly and equally.
B. Refuse to surrender to special interest, partisan, or political groups.
C. Avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety.
D. Refuse to use Board membership for personal gain or publicity.
E. Respect the confidentiality of privileged information.
2. Unity
A. Recognize that Board decisions can be made only by a majority vote at a sanctioned Board Meeting.
B. Give full support to Board decisions, even if personal opinion may vary.
C. Value and support the role of the Superintendent and administration.
D. Work actively to achieve unity and trust.
E. Be accountable for decisions and policies made by the Board.
3. Respect
A. Encourage the free expression and opinion of fellow Board Members by listening and seeking to understand them.
B. Respect and value the expressions and diverse opinions of individuals or groups addressing the Board.
C. Be an advocate for public education.
D. Refrain from dominating discussions and from making unreasonable demands for information from the District staff.
4. Responsibility
A. Commit to provide the best quality education for all students.
B. Be prepared, on time, attentive, and engaged.
C. Become knowledgeable about local, state, and national educational Issues.
D. Seek to be attentive, thorough, and loyal to the policies, programs, and procedures of the District.
E. Be responsive to patron and employee communications and address them through the established line of authority.
F. Recognize that Board business may be transacted only in an Open Meeting.
G. Hire and employ the most highly-qualified personnel.
H. Conduct oneself in a manner commensurate with being a Board Member.
I. Develop one's ability to govern effectively and knowledgeably by participating in professional development.
J. Avoid surprises. Communicate questions and concerns in advance so all are informed.
K. Represent and act in the best interest of the students, parents, and employees of the District
L. Recognize and support community values.
Conflict of Interest
A Board Member shall not have any direct money interest in a contract with the school District, nor shall he or she furnish directly any labor, equipment, or supplies to the District.
In the event a Board Member is employed by a corporation or business or has a secondary interest in a corporation or business that furnishes goods or services to the District, the Board Member shall declare his interest and refrain from debating or voting upon the question of contracting with the company.
It is not the intent of this Policy to prevent the District from contracting with corporations or businesses because a Board Member is an employee of the firm. The Policy is designed to prevent placing a Board Member in a position where his interest in the public schools and his interest in his place of employment (or other indirect interest) might conflict and to avoid appearances of conflict of interest even though such conflict may not exist.
Nepotism
For purposes of this section, a “relative” means father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law.
No Board member or employee of the District may employ, appoint, or vote for or recommend the appointment of a relative or cohabitant in or to any position or employment, when the salary, wages, pay, or compensation, of the appointee will be paid from public funds and the appointee will be directly supervised by a relative, as outlined in Utah Code 52-3-1 “Employment of Relatives Prohibited—Exceptions.”
