4029 Campaign Activities During Regular School Day

The Board of Education recognizes and supports the right of its employees to be involved in political and union activities and to campaign for candidates and issues. However, the exercise of this right must not interfere with the educational process -- the delivery of educational services to the students of the district. While on scheduled duty time, employees’ attention and energy should be focused on their job responsibilities and should not be diverted to, or distracted by, campaign activities of their own or of other employees. The Board of Education has determined that the following regulations are necessary to prevent such disruptions and to ensure that employees are properly performing their duties during the school day:

A.      Employees may not engage in campaign activities during scheduled duty time.

B.      Employees: All administrators, certified, and non-certified personnel.

C.      Campaign activities: Lobbying other employees for their support or contributions, circulating petitions, distributing literature, and planning or preparing for such activities, whether done individually or with other employees; and any of which is done in regard to national, state, or local elections for offices or on referenda questions, or in regard to elections for recognition or decertification of any employees’ organization, or for officers of any such organization.

D.      Scheduled duty time: All times at which the employee is scheduled to engage in activities to fulfill the obligations under the employment contract, including, but not limited to, classroom instruction; lesson preparation; parent/teacher conferences; supervision of halls, classes, playgrounds, lunchrooms or other areas, or of extracurricular activities; or in the case of non-professional staff, their assigned duties in the administrative, food service, transportation, maintenance, or other non-educational support area.

E.       Campaign activities may be conducted outside of employees’ scheduled duty time only in those areas of the school facilities which are set aside for employees’ use during other than scheduled duty time.

F.       Employees may not direct campaign activities toward other employees who are performing scheduled duties.

G.      The use of threats, duress, coercion, or intimidation in campaign activities directed at other employees is prohibited and constitutes grounds for immediate disciplinary action, including dismissal.

H.      School bulletin boards, mailboxes, district e-mail, and/or the district website may not be used to post or distribute campaign materials.

I.        Campaign materials may not be posted on school property, except in employee work areas.

J.        Employees may not use any facilities, equipment, utilities, or other property of the district in any campaign activities.

K.      This policy shall in no way limit, or be interpreted to include in the definition of campaign activities, any classroom activity regarding studying of political policy. Campaign activities do not include stressing the importance of:

1.       Registering to vote.

2.       Voting.

L.       Violation of this policy by any employee is grounds for disciplinary action including, but not limited to, dismissal.

M.     Discussion or distribution of district-generated information concerning millage levies, bond issues, or school- related elections is permissible.

 

Revised 6/10/96

Revised 12/8/97

Revised 12/13/99

Revised 12/10/07

Revised 1/18/10