8232
Policy
Internal Board Policies/Personnel
Use of Public Resources by Board
Members and Employees
Restrictions on Use
No Board member or employee of Ashland-Greenwood
Public Schools shall use or authorize the use of his or her public office or
any confidential information received through the holding of the public office
to obtain financial gain, other than compensation provided by law, for himself
or herself, a member of his or her immediate family, or a business with which
the individual is associated.
No Board member or employee shall
use or authorize the use of school district personnel, resources, property, or
funds under his or her official care and control other than in accordance with
prescribed constitutional, statutory, and regulatory procedures or use such
items, other than compensation provided by law, for personal financial gain.
No Board member or employee shall
use or authorize the use of school resources for the purpose of campaigning for
or against the nomination or election of a candidate or the qualification,
passage, or defeat of a ballot question.
For purposes of this restriction, “school resources” means personnel,
property, resources, or funds under the official care and control of the Board
member or employee.
Authorized Uses
The uses described below are not
authorized by employees, and violate this policy, where an employee’s use: (1)
interferes with the conduct of school business; (2) interferes with the
performance of the employee’s duties and responsibilities; (3) is contrary to
another Board policy or a rule or directive set forth in an employee handbook
or other employee communication device; (4) is contrary to a supervisor’s
directive; or (5) the use is for the employee’s personal financial gain or
potential for potential for personal financial gain.
Incidental or De Minimis Use: Use of school
resources by a Board member or employee which is incidental or de minimis does
not constitute a violation of this policy.
Personal Use as Part of Compensation: Use of school
resources for personal purposes is authorized by this policy if:
1.
the
use of the resource for personal purposes is part of the employee’s
compensation provided in an employment contract or is consistent with this
policy; and
2.
the
personal use of the resource as compensation is reported in accordance with the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and taxes, if any, are paid by the affected
employee.
Employees who engage in such
personal use shall, upon request of the Board of Education or the administration,
provide evidence to establish that the compensation has been reported and taxes
paid as required by the Tax Code.
School Vehicles: Use of a school vehicle by a
Board member or employee to travel to a designated location or the home of the
Board member or employee is permissible when the primary purpose of the travel
serves a school district purpose. Such
use is authorized by this policy. No travel
other than directly to the school-related trip destination shall occur,
however, when students are in the vehicle or if the vehicle is a school bus.
Communication Devices: A Board member or
employee may use a telecommunication system, a cellular telephone, an
electronic handheld device, or a computer under the control of the school
district for email, text messaging, a local call, or a long-distance call, to a
child at home, a teacher, a doctor, a day care center, a baby-sitter, a family
member, or any other person to inform any such person of an unexpected schedule
change or for other essential personal business. Any such communication shall
be kept to a minimum and shall not interfere with the conduct of school business
or the performance of an employee’s duties.
A Board member or employee shall be
responsible for payment or reimbursement of charges (e.g. long distance
charges), if any, that directly results from any such communication. The Board
member or employee shall promptly report any such communication that results in
an expense to the
Use of the District’s internet
system for such communications shall not be permitted to the extent such use
violates the terms of the E-Rate program, which restricts use of the internet
system to “educational purposes.”
Election Issues: A Board member or the
Superintendent, in the normal course of his or her duties, may use school
resources to research and prepare materials to assist the School Board in
determining the effect of a ballot question on the
Mass mailings, mass duplication, or
other mass communications at school expense for the purpose of qualifying, supporting,
or opposing a ballot question is not permitted. Mass communications does not
include placing public records demonstrating the consequences of the passage or
defeat of a ballot question affecting the
A Board member or employee may
campaign for or against the qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot
question or the nomination or election of a candidate when no school resources
are used. An employee shall not engage in campaign activity for or against the
qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question or the nomination or
election of a candidate while on duty time.
A Board member or authorized employee
may make school facilities available for campaign purposes if the identity of
the candidate or the support for or opposition to the ballot question is not a
factor in making the facilities available or a factor in determining the cost
or conditions of use.
The School Board may discuss and
vote upon a resolution supporting or opposing a ballot question.
A Board member may respond to
specific inquiries by the press or the public as to his or her opinion regarding
a ballot question or provide information in response to a request for
information.
A Board member or employee may identify
himself or herself by his or her official title when communicating about a
ballot question. Employees who do so
shall clearly communicate that their communication is their personal opinion
and does not reflect the position or views of the Board of Education or the
Legal
Reference: Neb. Rev. Stat. §§49-14,101.01
and 49-14,101.02
Date of
Adoption: August 3, 2009