No employee or board member may have a direct interest in any contract or agreement for the sale of goods and services to the Board of Education, nor receive any benefit, compensation or reward from any contract for the sale of goods and services to the Board of Education. Reference—N.J.S.A. 18A:6-8.
Solicitation/Receipt of Gifts from Vendors – Prohibited
School board members, school officials and employees, or members of their immediate family are prohibited from soliciting, receiving or agreeing to receive any compensation, reward, employment, gift, meal, honorarium, travel, reimbursement, favor, loan, service, or other thing of value from any person, firm, corporation, partnership, or business that is a recipient of a purchase order from the district, or a potential bidder, or an applicant for any contract with the district, based upon an understanding that what is solicited or offered was for the purpose of influencing the board member or school employee in the discharge of their official duties. This policy shall be consistent with the School Ethics Act—N.J.S.A. 18A: 12-21 et. seq. Reference—N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.1 (7f);
School District Responsibility – Recommendation of Purchases
School officials and employees who recommend purchases shall not extend any favoritism to any vendor. Each recommended purchase should be based upon quality of the items, service, price, delivery, and other applicable factors in full compliance with N.J.S.A. 18A: 18A-1 et. seq.
School officials and employees are to avoid recommending purchases from members of their families, businesses that employ members of their families and from businesses in which the official, employee or members of their immediate family have a direct financial interest.
School officials and employees who are authorized to sign off on purchase orders and/or to recommend purchases or business transactions by virtue of their signature on the purchase order certify that their actions are consistent with this policy and all applicable statutes. Reference—N.J.A.C. 6A:10-2.1 (7f);
Vendor Responsibility – Doing Business with the Board of Education
Any vendor doing business or proposing to do business with the Board of Education, shall neither pay, offer to pay, either directly or indirectly, any fee, commission, or compensation, nor offer any gift, gratuity, or other thing of value of any kind to any official or employee of the Board of Education or to any member of the official’s or employee’s immediate family.
No vendor shall cause to influence or attempt to cause to influence, any official or employee of the Board of Education, in any manner which might tend to impair the objectivity or independence of judgment of said official or employee.
Vendor Certification
Vendors will be asked to certify that no official or employee of the Board of Education or immediate family members are directly or indirectly interested in this request or have any interest in any portions of profits thereof. The vendor participating in this request must be an independent vendor and not an official or employee of the Board of Education.
Violations of the Policy
In accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:10A-4.1(f)iii, and N.J.S.A. 18A:6-8, any school district employee who violates the terms of this policy may be subject to withholding of annual increments, suspension, demotion, school ethics complaint, termination and/or revocation of license to teach or to administer.