POLICY 1-1.7 CODE OF ETHICS

Recognizing that persons who hold public office have been given a public trust and that the stewardship of such office demands the highest levels of ethical and moral conduct, any person serving on the Montgomery County School Board should adhere to the following Code of Ethics.

1. Uphold the Constitution, laws and regulations of the United States, Virginia and Montgomery County and never knowingly be a party to their evasion.

2. Be loyal to moral principles and the educational interests of the citizens of the county.

3. Give a full measure of effort and service to the position of trust for which stewardship has been granted, giving earnest effort and best thought to the performance of duties. School Board members shall attend all regularly scheduled meetings of the School Board or committees to which they have been assigned, resigning whenever personal circumstances preclude regular attendance. School Board members should make a conscientious effort to be well prepared for each meeting.

4. Seek to find and use the most equitable, efficient, effective and economical means for getting tasks accomplished. School Board members shall be concise when presenting information, and should avoid the practice of taking more time to address an issue before the School Board than is necessary and essential for an adequate consideration of those matters being discussed.

5. Adopt policies and programs that support the rights and recognize the needs of all citizens regardless of race, gender, age, religion, creed or country of origin. Avoid adopting policies, supporting programs or engaging in Board activities that discriminate against or offend individuals because of race, gender, age, religion, creed or country of origin.

6. Ensure the integrity of the actions of the School Board by avoiding discrimination through the dispersing of special favors or unfair privileges to anyone, whether for remuneration or not. A member should never accept for himself/herself or for family members favors or benefits under circumstances that might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of governmental duties. Each School Board member should avoid a private lifestyle that casts doubt upon the integrity and competence of the school division.

7. Make no private promises of any kind binding upon the duties of any office, since a public servant has no private word that can be binding on public duty.

8. Engage in no business with the county government, or the school division, either directly or indirectly, which is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of government duties except as may be consistent with the conflict of interest statutes in the Code of Virginia. Each School Board member shall pay all personal taxes due to the county, state and federal government.

9. Never use any information gained confidentially in the performance of governmental duties as a means of making private profit.

10. Expose, through appropriate means and channels, corruption, misconduct, or neglect of duty if discovered.

11. Adhere to the principle that the public’s business should be conducted in the public view by observing and following the letter and spirit of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act using closed meetings to deal with sensitive personnel, student, legal, contractual or other issues as provided by the Code of Virginia.

12. Avoid using the position of public trust to gain access to the media for the purposes of criticizing colleagues or citizens, impugning their integrity or vilifying their personal beliefs.

13. Make sure, when responding to the media, that a clear distinction is made between personal opinion or belief and a decision made by the School Board.

14. Review orally and in public session at the annual reorganization meeting each of these principles.

15. Pledge to honor and uphold these principles, ever conscious that public office is a public trust.

LEGAL REFERENCE: Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§ 2.2-3100, et seq., 2.2-3700, et seq., 22.1-78, 22.1-79.

Adopted: April 2004

Reaffirmed: January 2005

Reaffirmed: January 2006