Policy committee refines language on hiring relatives, agrees to forward policy 301.1

The policy committee reviewed updates to policy 301.1 (employment of relatives) on Dec. 10 and directed staff to refine wording around timing, exceptions and grandfathering before the legislative board considers the change.

Speaker 2 explained the draft language intends to reflect current practice: "neither relatives of board members nor those relatives of employees with individual contracts shall be considered for any type of employment after the appointment of that individual," a formulation the committee agreed required clearer sequencing. Members expressed concern about the words "considered" versus "hired," how to treat employees who predate a board member, and how promotions or status changes should be handled.

Committee discussion produced several clarifications: members preferred replacing "considered" with "hired" to make the restriction apply to new hires; existing employees would remain grandfathered; and certain promotions or changes in assignment that affect status or pay may require a higher threshold for approval (the draft retains a two-thirds vote requirement for exceptional cases). The chair noted, for example, many spouses were district employees before their partners were elected and the policy should not retroactively displace them.

Members also asked staff to address timing language (for example, whether a board member's term start, oath date or hire start date should govern sequencing) and flagged a rare edge case around reorganization timing that staff will check. Several members recommended placing procedural details and annual disclosure timing in ARs rather than the policy text.

The committee indicated consensus to move the revised employment-of-relatives language to the legislative meeting for legal review; a formal roll-call vote was not taken in committee.