GAG – Staff Conflict of Interest

Descriptor Code: GAG
Staff Conflict of Interest

I. REMUNERATION
A. ACCEPTING GIFTS
Gifts are defined as monies, or its equivalent, voluntarily transferred from one individual to another, made gratuitously to the recipient. School District employees will not accept any individual gift in excess of $250 in value annually from any booster club, parent organizations or groups, students or parents of students without the express prior approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee.
B. ACCEPTING PAYMENTS FOR EXTRA-CURRICULAR RESPONSIBILITIES Payments are defined as monies, or its equivalent, received by an individual for services rendered. Employees may accept additional payments from third parties for extracurricular responsibilities upon approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee. To ensure further fiscal and tax accountability and consistency, the Superintendent will develop guidelines that authorize and govern student support organizations to provide additional payment to employees for extracurricular responsibilities.
C. PROVIDING COACHING, INSTRUCTION OR OTHER SERVICES FOR PAYMENT Employees may accept employment from third parties for School District or School District student-related activities with prior written approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee. Examples of activities that may be approved include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Coaching, instructing or promoting athletic camps, summer leagues, etc. that involves students under that employee’s authority or supervision;
2. Soliciting students or parents of students under the employee’s authority or supervision to purchase equipment, supplies or services from the employee; and,
3. Providing tutoring, additional instruction or after care/respite care for payment to students under the employee’s authority or supervision.

II. EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES
The School District will permit the employment of relatives of current employees as long as such employment does not, in the opinion of the Superintendent or designee, create an actual or perceived conflict. The School District will exercise sound business judgment in the placement of related employee in accordance with the following:
A. For purposes of this Policy, the following definitions control: a. Relative will be defined to include spouse, ex-spouse, child, step-child, grand-child, parent, grand-parent, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, first-cousin or the spouse of any of them. The relationships will also include those arising from adoption. Persons who are common law married or who are living in a meretricious relationship are also considered as relatives under the intent of this Policy. b. Personnel Actions include, but are not limited to, recommendations for new hires, promotions, pay raises, transfers, duty assignments and disciplinary matters of an employee or any individual employed by the School District, including the Superintendent.
B. Relatives are permitted to work in the same school or other facility, provided no direct reporting or supervisory/management relationship exists between employees. That is, no employee is permitted to work within the "chain of command" of a relative such that one relative's work responsibilities, salary, or career progress could be influenced, or give that appearance of having been influenced, by the other relative. No employee may recommend any personnel actions for or on behalf of any relative.
C. Relatives are not permitted to work in the same department or in any other position which the Superintendent believes an inherent conflict of any interest may exist.
D. Employees who marry while employed are treated in accordance with these guidelines, if following the marriage one spouse has any supervisory authority over the other spouse one of the employees will be transferred if a like position is available or, if a like position is not available, employee will need to resign at the earliest practical time as directed by the Superintendent of and/or designee.
E. The Superintendent will adopt and maintain employment application forms for all persons seeking employment within the district which shall require each applicant to disclose if the applicant is related to a current employee or School Board Member.
F. Employees who are already related at the time of the adoption of this section; or who would be in violation of this section upon the election or appointment of a relative to an elected or appointed supervisory position; or who become related subsequent to their employment on account of the marriage or of some other person; may continue their employment subject to the following conditions: Employees who become subject to the  prohibitions of this policy as a result of its adoption or amendment; the employee’s or Relative’s job change, or the election of a Relative may continue their employment subject to the following:
1. Board Members will be informed prior to any employment decision of the existence of any actual or potential Relative(s) within any agenda item to afford the Board Member an opportunity to recuse them from such decision. Effected employees must disclose in writing to their supervisor, the Superintendent, or the Board Chair depending upon the nature of the conflict any actual or potential conflict of interest that may arise as a result of the employment or election of a Relative.
2. Department directors and supervisors will make every effort to transfer any relative to a different division or section so as to avoid any direct supervision and will not participate in any personal actions involving a relative.
G. This Policy will not be construed and shall not be enforced so as to deny employees those rights guaranteed by O.C.G.A. §20-2-940, et seq. All other Policies of the Cherokee County School District in conflict herewith are specifically repealed.

REVISED: July 21, 2016

CCSD Administrative Guidelines Regarding Staff Conflict of Interest
Pursuant to the School Board’s Staff Conflict of Interest Policy (GAG), these administrative guidelines are to be utilized by CCSD staff in policy application:

A Student Support Organization (SSO) is any booster club, parent organization, or school-based club organized for the purpose of assisting schools. Responsibilities of employees accepting payments from a Student Support Organization:

1. Employees will not accept payments from one or more SSO which in total would exceed the amount noted in the annual CCSD Salary Allocation Handbook approved by the Superintendent and Board of Education.

2. Employees not receiving a CCSD Local Supplement will not accept payments from one or more SSO which in total would exceed the lowest CCSD supplement for that activity.

3. Employees are prohibited from soliciting or requiring such payments as a condition of their accepting or continuing the extra-curricular responsibility. Payments from SSO’s to employees who have extracurricular responsibilities are voluntary recognitions of the additional services provided to the District by these employees.

4. Employees may not receive payments for moving or relocation expenses without the express prior approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee.

5. Employees may not perform or conduct clinics or other activities for payment during the contract period without the express prior approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee.

Responsibilities of Principal or designee for supervising one or more employees who are receiving payments from a Student Support Organization:

1. Each Principal/designee will inform the faculty at the beginning of each school year regarding Guidelines for Payments from SSO’s to District employees.

2. Principal/Designee must submit to the Office of School Operations the Student Support Organization (SSO) District Employee Payment Approval Form for prior approval.

3. Upon approval, the SSO may reimburse the employee according to District guidelines

5/10/2023