GBEA - Conflict of Interest

File: GBEA 

Conflict of Interest

No employee of the Franklin Public Schools will engage in or have a financial interest in, directly or  indirectly, any activity that conflicts or raises a reasonable question of conflict with their duties and  responsibilities in the school system. Nor will any staff member engage in any type of private business  during school time or on school property. 

Employees will not engage in work of any type where information concerning customer, client, or  employer originates from any information available to them through school sources. 

Every two years, all current employees, including School Committee members, must complete the State  Ethics Commission's online training. New employees must complete this training within 30 days of  beginning employment and every 2 years thereafter. Upon completing the program, employees should  print out the completion certificate and keep a copy for themselves. Employees will be required to  provide a copy of the completion certificate to the municipal Clerk through the Superintendent's or  designee’s office. 

Employees may need to file Massachusetts Ethics Commission disclosure forms for accepting gifts,  having travel expenses paid for by a third party or field trip fees, etc. Employees should become familiar  with the disclosure forms posted on the Massachusetts Ethics Commission website at www.mass.gov/ethics/disclosureforms. 

Moreover, as there should be no conflict of interest in the supervision and evaluation of employees, at  no time may any administrator responsible for the supervision and/or evaluation of an employee be  directly related to them. 

In order to avoid the appearance of any possible conflict, it is the policy of the Franklin School  Committee that no employee be hired who is related to any member of the School Committee or who is  related to any administrator of the school district. This provision will not affect anyone currently  employed in the district who may be related to either a School Committee member or an administrator  but future promotions or hiring will not be exempt from this provision. No member of the School  Committee will be employed by the school district. 

LEGAL REFS.: M.G.L. 71:52 

Cross Ref: BBBA School Committee Member Qualifications/Oath of Office 

BIA New School Committee Member Orientation 

Reviewed; no revisions: 8/5/2014 

Reviewed, Revised, Adopted by School Committee: 4/13/21