Policy BCB
Board Member Conflict of Interest/Nepotism
School Board Approved: April 4, 2016
A Board member shall not have any direct personal and pecuniary interest in a contract with the District, nor shall he or she furnish directly any labor, equipment, or supplies to the District.
In the event a Board member is employed by a corporation or business or has a secondary interest in a corporation or business which furnishes goods or services to the District, the Board member shall declare his/her interest and recuse himself/herself for the duration of the debate, discussion and vote upon the question.
It is not the intent of this policy to prevent the District from contracting with corporations or businesses because a Board member is an employee of the firm. The policy is designed to prevent placing a Board member in a position where his/her interest in the public schools and his interest in his place of employment (or other indirect interest) might conflict, and to avoid appearances of conflict of interest even though such conflict may not exist.
In the event a family member of a board member is an employee of the district, or is being considered for employment, the Board member shall identify his/her relation to the applicant or employee and recuse him/herself from debating, discussing, or voting on any matter in which the outcome has the potential to effect the family member. For the purposes of this policy, a family member includes father, mother, brother, sister, wife, husband, son, daughter, daughter- or son-in-law, sister- or brother-in law.
Legal References:
Marsh v. Hanover, 113 NH 667 (1973)
Atherton v. Concord, 109 NH 164 (1968)
RSA 671:18, School District Elections: Qualifications
Page Tools
