Commission says Flagler school board member cannot sell services to district students

The Florida Commission on Ethics on Sept. 10 adopted an advisory opinion saying Flagler County School Board member Lauren Ramirez may not sell private training services to students who attend schools in her district.

The opinion, drafted by staff attorney Steve Zukalski and presented to the commission, concluded that Ramirez’s business — which provides phlebotomy and medical-assistant training and youth courses such as babysitting certification — is sufficiently similar to prior tutoring and art-camp scenarios that the commission has treated as creating a prohibited conflict for a school-board member. "In the strongest possible terms, the staff recommends to you that you adopt version 1a," Zukalski told commissioners during the meeting.

The advisory opinion addresses five related questions asked by Ramirez (who did not appear in person). It says she may volunteer in schools but may not market inside schools or use school resources to solicit students; she may not obtain logo placement on district team shirts in exchange for a sponsorship; and she may not hire district teachers for her business if those teachers are among the staff she has evaluative or…