1610 – Conflict of Interest
Neither a NWESD 189 director nor a NWESD 189 officer (such as the superintendent) may benefit, directly or indirectly, in any contract made by, through, or under the director’s or officer’s supervision, except as permitted below:
A. A director or officer may enter into a contract with the NWESD 189 to offer goods or services (except legal services) if the director or officer does not receive more than $3,000 in any calendar month under the contract. The NWESD 189 will maintain a list of all contracts covered under this paragraph, and the list will be available for the public to inspect and copy.
B. A director may be designated as clerk and/or purchasing agent of the NWESD 189.
C. The spouse of a director or officer may be employed as a substitute teacher on the same terms and at the same compensation as other substitute teachers for the NWESD 189. For a director’s or officer’s spouse to be employed as a substitute teacher, the superintendent must find that the number of qualified substitute teachers in the NWESD 189 is insufficient to meet the NWESD 189’s anticipated needs, and the superintendent must ensure that substitute teachers are fairly and impartially assigned to available positions.
D. If a director’s or officer’s spouse was employed by the NWESD 189 as a classified or certificated employee before the director or officer took office, the spouse’s employment contract can be continued. The terms of the employment must be commensurate with the pay plan operating in the NWESD 189 for that position.
E. A director or officer may have a remote interest in a contract. The interest, though, must be disclosed prior to board action and must be recorded in the official minutes.
A director may not vote on the authorization, approval, or ratification of a contract in which he or she is beneficially interested and to which one of the exemptions described above applies. Before the board approves a contract in which a director is beneficially interested, the director must disclose his or her interest to the board, and the director’s interest must be noted in the official minutes.
Before the board approves the employment of a director or a director’s or an officer’s spouse, the superintendent or designee will inform the board of other individuals who are qualified for and interested in the position(s) to be filled. The NWESD 189 will not discriminate in any way against any applicant for a position or employee based on a family relationship with a director or officer. All employment decisions will be made by choosing the applicant that furthers the best interests of the NWESD 189.
Whenever a director or his or her spouse is employed by the NWESD 189, the director will refrain from participating in or attempting to influence any board action affecting the employment status of the director or his or her spouse. Actions affecting employment status include, but are not limited to, hiring, establishing compensation and fringe benefits, setting working conditions, conducting performance evaluations, and considering or imposing discipline and termination.
The superintendent will maintain a log of any contract subject to this policy and will annually, or when a new director assumes office, inform the board of the existence of those contracts.
First Reading:
Second Reading: 08/24/77 (as 3600)
Revised: 02/26/92 (as 3600)
Revised: 03/28/01 (recodified 1610)
Revised: 11/28/22
Revised: 08/28/2023
Reference:
RCW 42.23.030
RCW 42.23.040
Date Revised: 08/28/2023