FILE:  BEA

Cf:  BE

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT

The St. John the Baptist School Board desires to operate in the most ethical and conscientious manner possible and to that end the board adopts this Code of Conduct, and each member of the School Board agrees that he or she will:

1. Recognize that the authority of the School Board rests only with the School Board as a whole and not with individual School Board members and act accordingly.
   
   

2. Support the delegation of authority for the day-to-day administration of the school system to the local Superintendent and act accordingly.
   
   

3. Honor the chain of command and refer to problems or complaints consistent with the chain of command.
   
   

4. Not undermine the authority of the Superintendent or intrude into responsibilities that properly belong to the Superintendent or school administration, including such functions as hiring, transferring, or dismissing employees.
   
   

5. Outside of Committee requests, make requests for reports and other written information through the School Board President and Superintendent, with copies provided to all School Board members. Upon receipt of the information, School Board members will refrain from replying to the email.
   
   

6. Use reasonable efforts to keep the Superintendent informed of concerns or specific recommendations that any member of the School Board may bring to the School Board.
   
   

7. Participate in all required training programs developed for School Board members by the School Board, state law and state board of ethics.
   
   

8. Comply with state law and state board of ethics regulations.
   
   

9. Agree to be a good steward of financial accountability, and refrain from using the position as an elected School Board member to pursue personal financial gain.
   
   

10. Refrain from creating a hostile work environment where the Superintendent, School Board members, and all employees are not subjected to workspaces that harassment or verbal abuse is pervasive.
    
    

11. Attend and participate in regularly scheduled and called School Board meetings.
    
    

12. Be informed and prepared to discuss issues to be considered on the School Board agenda.
    
    

13. Maintain the confidentiality of all discussions and other matters pertaining to the school system during executive session of the School Board.
    
    

14. Work with other School Board members to establish effective policies for the school system.
    
    

15. Periodically review and evaluate the effectiveness of all policies.
    
    

16. File annually with the local Superintendent and with the School Board secretary a written statement certifying that he or she is in compliance with this code of conduct.

New policy:  August 22, 2024

Ref:    Board minutes, 8-22-24

St. John the Baptist Parish School Board