3129 - CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The proper performance of school business is dependent upon high standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality, and professional conduct by Board employees. Further, such characteristics are essential to the Board's commitment to earn and keep the public's confidence. For these reasons, the Bard adopts the following procedures to assure that conflicts of interest do not occur. These procedures are not intended to be all inclusive, nor to substitute for good judgement on the part of all District Board members, employees, and agents.
Employees, officers, and agents shall not engage in or have a financial interest, directly or indirectly, in any activity that conflicts or raises a reasonable question of conflict with their duties and responsibilities in the school system.
Employees, officers, and agents shall not engage in business, private practice of their profession, the rendering of services, or the sale of goods of any type where advantage is taken of any professional relationship they may have with any student, client, or parents of such students or clients in the course of their employment with the District.
Included, by way of illustration rather than limitation are the following:
the provision of any private lessons or services for a fee
the use, sale, or improper divulging of any privileged information about a student or client gained in the course of employment or through access to District records
the referral of any student or client for lessons or services to any private business or professional practitioner if there is any expectation of reciprocal referrals, sharing of fees, or other remuneration
the requirement of students or clients to purchase any private goods or services provided by an employee, business, or professional practitioner with whom an employee has a financial relationship, as a condition of receiving grades, credits, promotions, approvals, or recommendations
Employees, officers, and agents shall not make use of materials, equipment, or facilities of the District in private practice. Examples would be the use of facilities before, during, or after regular business hours for service to private practice clients, or the checking out of items from an instructional materials center for private practice.
Notwithstanding parts A through C of this policy, the District does not prohibit instructional personnel from providing New World Reading Scholarship Account services as outlined in F.S. 1002.411 on the instructional personnel member's school campus outside regular work hours. Such services are subject to Board policies related to the safety and security operations to protect students, instructional personnel, and educational facilities.
Any other exceptions to any provision in parts A through C of this policy shall be approved In advance by the Superintendent and shall be consistent with State law.
Employees, officers, or agents may not participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a Federal grant/award if s/he has a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, any member of his/her immediate family, his/her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties described in this section, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract.
Employees, officers, or agents may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to subcontracts.
To the extent that the District has a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization that is not a State, local government, or Indian tribe, the School District may not conduct a procurement action involving the parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization if the School District is unable, or appears to be unable, to be impartial.
Employees, officers, and agents must disclose any potential conflict of interest which may lead to a violation of this policy to the School District. Upon discovery of any potential conflict of interest, the School District will disclose, in writing, the potential conflict of interest to the appropriate Federal awarding agency or, if applicable, the pass-through entity.
The District will also disclose, in a timely manner, all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity that affect a Federal award to the appropriate Federal awarding agency or, if applicable, the pass-through entity.
Employees, officers, and agents found to be in violation of this conflict of interest policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination, consistent with substantive and procedural due process and as permitted by applicable Board policy, State law, and/or applicable provision of the collective bargaining agreement.
Revised 4/12/05
Revised 10/28/14
Revised 3/12/24
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