Clean Copy BHC Board Member Political Activity

                                                                                   Board Policy Manual
                                                                           DeKalb County School District

Board Policy BHC: Board Member Poli cal Ac vity                                           Status: ADOPTED

Original Adopted Date: 06/13/2011 | Last Reviewed Date: 10/23/2024 | Last Revised Date:
10/23/2024




The DeKalb County Board of Educa on recognizes that Board members have the right as
individuals to engage in poli cal ac vi es, express opinions on poli cal issues, support candidates
running for elec ve public office, and campaign for their own elec on or reelec on as Board
members. Board members also have the responsibility to uphold the public trust and to avoid
allowing their poli cal ac vi es to interfere or conflict with their service on the Board or with the
best interests of the District.

To avoid any such conflict or interference, each Board member will comply with the terms of this
policy. It is the Board’s hope that candidates for Board office likewise will comply with this policy.

    1. Board members will take every reasonable step to differen ate between their ac vi es as
       private individuals and their ac vi es as members of the Board of Educa on.

    2. Board members will not use school facili es for campaign func ons or ac vi es, except to
       the extent such use is consistent with the Use of School Facili es Policy, Descriptor Code
       KG, and this policy. Poli cal materials may be displayed and distributed at such func ons,
       provided the materials are removed from the facility when the ac vity ends.

    3. Except as provided in paragraph 2 above, Board members will not campaign or solicit votes
       or campaign contribu ons on their own behalf or on behalf of any other candidate while on
       District property.

    4. Board members will not use District personnel, equipment, supplies, computer networks,
       websites, mailing lists, email lists, newsle ers, flyers, or other District resources to support,
       oppose, or a empt to influence voters on a ballot ques on or candidate, including a Board
       member’s own candidacy, except to the extent such use is consistent with the Use of School
       Facili es Policy, Descriptor Code KG, and this policy. However, a Board member may use
       District resources for campaign-related ac vi es when:
    5.
           (a) such resources are generally available to the compe ng candidates, public
               organiza ons, or to the public, or
           (a) when such use is incidental and subordinate to the public use or is, as a prac cal
               ma er, unavoidable, and involves minimal public expense, or, if the cost is more than
               de minimis, the public is reimbursed for the cost of the campaign-related use.
    6. Board members will not provide, or promise to provide, any work-related advantage to an              Formatted: Font: Lato, 11 pt
       employee of the District in exchange for the employee’s support of the Board member’s
                                                                                                            Formatted: List Paragraph
       candidacy or any other candidate for elected office.

    7. Board members will not use, or a empt to use, their posi on as a Board member to pressure
       any employee or other individual to support the Board member’s candidacy or any other
        candidate for elected office.

    8. Board members will not use any por on of a Board mee ng, Board commi ee mee ng, or
       official Board func on to campaign or to solicit votes or campaign contribu ons on their
       own behalf or on behalf of any other candidate.

    9. Board members will not solicit or accept, or knowingly allow any member of their immediate
       family or any business organiza on in which they are associated to solicit or accept, any
       poli cal contribu on based upon an understanding that the contribu on was given or
       offered for the purpose of influencing that Board member in the discharge of that Board
       member’s official du es. This provision does not apply to the solicita on or acceptance of
       campaign contribu ons by a Board member who has announced that the Board member is a
       candidate for Board office if the Board member has no knowledge or reason to believe that
       the campaign contribu on, if accepted, was given with the intent to influence the Board
       member in the discharge of the Board member’s official du es.

    10. Board members may par cipate in mock elec ons or other mock poli cal ac vi es that are
        part of a school’s instruc onal program, provided the ac vity is not in support of the Board
        member’s own candidacy for elected office.

    11. Board members par cipa ng in school-sponsored func ons that feature candidates for
        elected office will not a empt to have the func on structured in such a manner as to
        provide the Board member an advantage over other candidates.

    12. Board members will not display poli cal adver sements or campaign materials on their
        person or apparel while on District property or while engaging in official Board business.
        Board members may have bumper s ckers and other poli cal adver sing on their vehicles
        when parked on District property.

    13. This policy will be enforced in the manner set out in the Board Member Code of Ethics
        Policy, Descriptor Code BH, Paragraph F.




Policy Reference Disclaimer:
 These references are not intended to be part of the policy itself, nor do they indicate the basis or authority
for the board to enact this policy. Instead, they are provided as addi onal resources for those interested in the
subject ma er of the policy.

Note: To access the policy references, CLICK HERE: State of Georgia Terms and Condi ons and close the
LexisNexis tab, which will return you to the policy. Click on the links below to be taken to each specific
code. You should only have to do this one me per session.




State                                          Descrip on
O.C.G.A. 20-02-0063                            Prohibit certain conflicts of interest of board members