Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Accomack school board approves staff handbook and policy updates after debate on hiring relatives
Summary
The Accomack County School Board approved policy updates and a revised staff handbook after members debated a provision that would have barred relatives of board members from employment; the board agreed to remove that sentence and retain provisions preventing direct supervision by relatives.
The Accomack County School Board on Tuesday approved updates to board policies and a staff handbook, voting to remove a provision that would have categorically barred relatives of board members from being employed by the division.
Board members said the handbook needed clearer language limiting direct supervision rather than prohibiting hiring outright. "If anything, move the line up that says that no family member or employee can be under a family member's direct supervision," said Dr. Johnson during discussion. Legal counsel pointed the board to policy language that allows a school board member's relative to be recommended for hire provided the member certifies no involvement in the hiring decision and the superintendent certifies the hire is based on merit.
The debate centered on a short sentence in the draft handbook that read, in effect, that relatives of school board members and the superintendent "shall not be hired by ACPS." Dr. Johnson argued that sentence conflicted with guidance that focuses on avoiding direct supervision and conflicts of interest. "I want somebody to make that make sense," Johnson said, noting that a blanket ban could unfairly prohibit many relatives from employment when abstention from hiring votes would address conflict concerns.
Board Chair Mrs. Turner said the sentence would be removed when the board took the item for action. At the subsequent vote the board approved the policy updates and approved the staff handbook "as amended" to remove the categorical hiring prohibition and instead add verbiage about restricting direct supervision and disclosing potential conflicts.
During discussion, board members also asked whether background checks would be performed uniformly on new hires; staff confirmed that all ACPS employees must complete background checks. The board was told attorneys had reviewed the handbook and returned it as ready for approval after the agreed amendment.
The changes to the handbook and policy updates will be implemented as written in the approved version and posted with the division's policy materials.
The board did not set aside other policy items for separate votes; the motion covered the policy package as presented.
