Board Members Code of Conduct 4.5
(Page 1 of 2)
The Board commits itself and its members to ethical, businesslike, and
lawful conduct, including proper use of authority and appropriate decorum when
acting as Board members.
Accordingly:
1)
Board
members will represent the interests of the citizens of the entire school
district. This accountability to the whole district supersedes:
a.
Any
conflicting loyalty a member may have to other advocacy or interest groups;
b.
Loyalty
based upon membership on other boards or staffs;
c.
Conflicts
based upon the personal interest of any Board member who is also a parent of a
student in the district;
d.
Conflicts
based upon being an employee or a relative of an employee of the district; or
e.
Loyalty
to staff/school employees.
2)
Members
must avoid conflicts of interest with respect to their fiduciary
responsibility:
a.
There
will be no business conducted by a member with the organization except to the
extent expressly permitted by law and appropriately disclosed. Members will annually disclose their
involvements with other organizations, with vendors, or any associations that
might be or might reasonably be seen as being a conflict.
b.
When
the Board is to decide upon an issue about which a member has an unavoidable
conflict of interest, that member shall absent herself or himself from, not
only the vote, but also from the deliberations.
c.
Board
members will not use their Board position to obtain employment in the
organization for themselves, family members, or close associates. Should a Board member apply for employment,
he or she must first resign from the Board.
3)
Board
members may not attempt to exercise individual authority over the organization.
a.
Members'
interactions with the Superintendent or with staff must recognize the lack of
authority vested in individuals except when explicitly Board authorized. Members will not give personal direction to
any part of the operational organization or assume personal responsibility for
resolving operational problems or complaints.
b.
Except
for participation in Board deliberation about whether the Superintendent has
achieved a reasonable interpretation of Board policy, members will not express
publicly individual negative judgments of performance of the Superintendent or
the Superintendent’s staff.
4)
Members
will protect the confidentiality appropriate to issues of a sensitive nature
and other matters that may compromise the integrity or legal standing of the
Board and district, including matters discussed in executive session.
Board Members Code of Conduct 4.5
(Page 2 of 2)
5)
To
build trust among members and to ensure an environment conducive to effective
governance and interacting with the press, public, or other board members,
individual members will:
a.
Focus
on issues rather than personalities
b.
Support
decisions of the full board
c.
Exercise
honesty in all written and interpersonal interaction, never intentionally
misleading or misinforming each other,
d.
e.
Make
every reasonable effort to protect the integrity and promote the positive image
of the district and one another, and
f.
Never
embarrass each other or the district
Date
Adopted: July 1, 2007