Members of the Board recognize the ethical duty of all public officers to avoid conflicts of interest. In the case of school board members, this duty is extended by Vermont statutory law to include a requirement that boards adopt policies and procedures to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest. In order to comply with the obligations thus imposed, the Board and its members will adhere to the following standards:

Board members will be familiar with the NSBA and VSBA Code of Ethics, and will observe their provisions.

Board members will be familiar with, and adhere to, those provisions of Vermont education law that define school board powers and govern board member compensation and public bidding processes.

A board member will do nothing intended to give the false impression that he or she has the authority to make decisions or take action on behalf of the Board or the school administration.

A board member will not take any action that would reasonably give the impression that he or she would represent special interests or partisan politics for personal gain.

A board member will not use his or her position on the Board in any manner intended or likely to unfairly promote personal interests or the personal interests of family members, friends, or supporters.

A board member will not accept anything of value in return for taking or not taking particular positions on matters before the Board.

A board member will do nothing intended or likely to leave the impression that his or her position on any issue can be influenced by anything other than a fair presentation of all sides of the question.

A board member will disclose any conflict of interest that arises in the course of considering any matter, and will refrain from further participation and voting on that matter.

Date Warned: March 1, 2002

Date Adopted: March 12, 2002

Legal Reference(s): 16 VSA § 557, 559, 563(20), 262 (d)

Cross Reference: