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Board directs staff to rewrite employee conflict-of-interest policy after lengthy discussion
Summary
Board members discussed policy JBE-AA (no employee may be directly supervised by a close relative) and voted to instruct the superintendent and HR to draft clearer language addressing supervision lines and multiple relatives in the same building.
The Sahuarita Unified School District governing board on Monday directed the superintendent to return with a revised conflicts-of-interest policy after an extended discussion about how the district defines "direct supervision" and what arrangements create potential conflicts.
The policy at issue, JBE-AA, currently states that "no person employed by the district may be directly supervised by a close relative" and defines "close relative" to include parent, child, sibling and spouse. Scott DS, who summarizes HR interpretation, explained the district had historically interpreted "directly supervised" as immediate supervisor and had used operational work-arounds when possible. "No person employed by the district may be directly and I quote directly supervised by close family," Dr. John Sparks said on the board floor as part of his explanation of the ASBA bylaw changes and related governance expectations.
Several board members pressed for broader language. One concern was that narrow interpretations allowed situations where a relative effectively exercised oversight through a supervisory chain even if not the immediate reviewer; board members said that could concentrate influence within a single building or grade team. "If that person that's married to them or is their sister or brother runs the building they can't work that building because that's too much of a conflict," one board member said, urging the board to consider line-of-supervision across departments and grade levels.
After discussion, the board voted to request that the superintendent and HR staff draft an amended policy that (a) clarifies "direct supervision" to account for full supervision lines within a building or department and (b) outlines limits on multiple close relatives working in the same grade or unit. The motion carried. Draft language will be returned to the board for consideration and possible formal action.
Next step: district staff will draft an amended JBE-AA and bring it back to the board for review; any final policy change will be adopted through the district's policy process.
