3233 - POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF STAFF
The Board of Education recognizes and encourages the right of its employees, as citizens, to engage in political activity. However, the Board also recognizes that school property and school time, paid for by all the people, may not be used for political purposes.
The Board adopts the following guidelines for those staff members who intend to engage in political activities:
No employee shall engage in political activities upon property under the jurisdiction of the Board unless permission has been granted for that purpose through the Use of Facilities policy of the Board.
Political circulars or petitions may not be posted or distributed in school except by U.S. Mail.
The collection of and/or the solicitation for campaign funds or campaign workers is prohibited on school property.
The display of any materials that would promote the candidacy of any candidate in a facility of this District used as a polling place on an officially declared election day is prohibited.
Board employees who hold elective or appointive office are not entitled to time off from their school duties for reasons incident to such offices, except as such time may qualify under the leave policies of the Board or a currently valid negotiated agreement of the Board. Employees who absent themselves from assigned duties without permission may be deemed insubordinate and penalized accordingly.
The following situations are exempt from the prohibitions of this policy:
The discussion and study of politics and political issues, when such discussion and study are appropriate to classroom studies, such as history, current events, and political science.
The conduct of student elections and campaigning connected therewith.
The conduct of employee representative elections.
Violation of any of the foregoing rules shall, at the discretion of the Board, constitute cause for reprimand, penalty or dismissal.