The Webster City Community School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer without regard to age (except for students), gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, socioeconomic status, disability, race, national origin, color, religion, and creed.

All employment decisions will be made in accordance with these principles.  All employment related programs will be administered in a manner consistent with these principles.  No employee or applicant shall suffer any form of discrimination because of age (except for students), gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, socioeconomic status, disability, race, national origin, color, religion, and creed.

To ensure awareness by all levels of the administration, all employees, all students, educational agencies, vendors with which the District works and the community, the District will disseminate information as detailed below.

A. Dissemination of Policy

1. Employees will be reminded annually of the District’s Equal Employment Opportunity Policy (“EEO Policy”) by:

1. Description of the EEO Policy by publication or reference in all issuances or re-issuances of personnel handbooks.
2. Where applicable, detailed discussions of the EEO Policy at administrative conferences and staff meetings.
3. Posting of the EEO Policy on the District’s website.

2. Employment advertisements will contain assurance of equal employment opportunity.
3. Employment sources and recruiting sources where jobs are posted and/or listed by the District will be reminded of the District’s EEO Policy, both verbally and in writing.
4. Notices informing employees and applicants of their rights under federal and state civil rights laws will be posted on bulletin boards and in locations where applicants are interviewed.

B. Responsibility for Implementing the Affirmative Action Plan and Program

1. The Superintendent is responsible for implementing the Affirmative Action Plan and Program and will render full assistance and support for those seeking help and assistance in taking affirmative action.

C. Recruiting

1. Additional emphasis will be given to seeking and encouraging diverse applicants in major job categories where women, men, minorities and persons with disabilities are underrepresented.”

D. Training

1. All training and in-service programs supported or sponsored by the District will continue to be equally open to all employees on the basis of qualifications.

2. E. Hiring, Placement, Transfer, Lay-Off and Recall

3. The District recognizes that to accomplish the long-range objectives of its Equal Employment Opportunity policy, continued affirmative action must be taken to ensure that job opportunities of all kinds are called to the specific attention of members of minority groups, women and the disabled, and that qualified members of such groups should be offered positions on the same basis as all other applicants or employees.  To assure achievement of the objectives, the District will periodically review its practices of hiring job applicants.

4. F. Compensation

5. All employees will receive compensation in accordance with the same standards.  Opportunities for performing overtime work or otherwise earning increased compensation will be afforded to all qualified employees without discrimination based on age (except for students), gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, socioeconomic status, disability, race, national origin, color, religion, and creed.

6. Advertisements and notices for vacancies within the District will contain the following statement:  “The Webster City Community School District is an EEO/AA employer.” The statement will also appear on application forms.

    

   Inquiries by employees or applicants for employment regarding compliance with equal employment opportunity and affirmative action laws and polices, including but not limited to complaints of discrimination, will be directed tot he District’s Equity Coordinator, Dr. Mandy Ross, Webster City Community School District, 820 Des Moines Street, Webster City, IA  50595, Phone:  515-832-9200, Email Address:  mandy_ross@webster-city.k12.ia.us.

Approved:  February 2022
Reviewed:  

Employees' use of their position with the school district for financial gain shall be considered a conflict of interest with their position as employees and may subject employees to disciplinary action.

Employees have access to information and a captive audience that could award the employee personal or financial gain.  No employee may solicit other employees or students for personal or financial gain to the employee without the approval of the superintendent.  If the approval of the superintendent is given, the employee must conduct the solicitations within the conditions set by the superintendent.  Further, the superintendent may, upon five days notice, require the employee to cease such solicitations as a condition of continued employment.

Employees shall not act as an agent or dealer for the sale of textbooks or other school supplies.  Employees shall not participate for personal financial remuneration in outside activities wherein their position on the staff is used to sell goods or services to students or to parents.  Employees shall not engage in outside work or activities where the source of information concerning the customer, client or employer originates from information obtained because of the employee's position in the school district.

It shall also be a conflict of interest for an employee to engage in any outside employment or activity which is in conflict with the employee's official duties and responsibilities.  In determining whether outside employment or activity of an employee creates a conflict of interest, situations in which an unacceptable conflict of interest shall be deemed to exist shall include, but not be limited to, any of the following:

1. The outside employment or activity involves the use of the school district's time, facilities, equipment and supplies or the use of the school district's badge, uniform, business card or other evidences of office to give the employee or the employee's immediate family an advantage or pecuniary benefit that is not available to other similarly situated members or classes of members of the general public.  For purposes of this section, a person is not "similarly situated" merely by being related to an employee who is employed by the school district.
2. The outside employment or activity involves the receipt of, promise of, or acceptance of more or other consideration by the employee or a member of the employee's immediate family from anyone other than the school district for the performance of any act that the employee would be required or expected to perform as part of the employee's regular duties or during the hours during which the employee performs service or work for the school district.
3. The outside employment or activity is subject to the official control, inspection, review, audit or enforcement authority of the employee during the performance of the employee's duties.

If the outside employment or activity is employment or activity in (1) or (2) above, the employee must cease the employment of or activity.  If the activity or employment falls under (3), then the employee must:

• Cease the outside employment or activity; or
• Publicly disclose the existence of the conflict and refrain from taking any official action or performing any official duty that would detrimentally affect or create a benefit for the outside employment or activity.  Official action or official duty includes, but is not limited to, participating in any vote, taking affirmative action to influence any vote, or providing any other official service or thing that is not available generally to members of the public in order to further the interests of the outside employment or activity.

There shall be no conflict of interest in the supervision and evaluation of employees. Therefore, no administrator or supervisor shall be responsible for the supervision or evaluation of an immediate family member.

It shall be the responsibility of each employee to be aware of and take the necessary action to eliminate a potential conflict of interest should it arise.

Approved:  December 2008
Reviewed:  February 2022
Revised:     February 2022

More than one family member may be an employee of the District.  One family member employed by the District shall not evaluate another family member employed by the District.

The employment of more than one individual in a family shall be on the basis of their qualifications, credentials and records.

Approved:  December 2008
Reviewed:  February 2022

Complaints of employees against fellow employees should be discussed directly between employees. In the event that a resolution does not occur at that level, the complaint shall be brought to the employee’s immediate supervisor in a professional and constructive manner. If needed after these steps, the employee may bring the complaint to the Superintendent, and finally to the Board of Education, if necessary.

Reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that complaints are not made in the presence of other employees, students, or outside persons.

Approved:  March 2007
Reviewed:  February 2022

The District shall maintain personnel records on employees.  These records are important for the daily administration of the educational program, implementing board policy, budget and financial planning, and meeting state and federal requirements.

Employee records shall include, but not be limited to, records necessary for the daily administration of the District, salary records, evaluations, application for employment, references, and other items needed to carry out board policy.  Employee personnel files are District records and considered confidential records and therefore are not generally open to public inspection or accessibility.  Only in certain limited instances, when the employee has given a signed consent, will employee personnel records be accessible to individuals other than the employee or authorized school officials.

Employees may have access to their personnel files, and copy items from their personnel files at a time mutually agreed upon between the Superintendent or designee and the employee.  The District may charge a reasonable fee for copies.  Board members will generally only have access to an employee's file when it is necessary because of an employee related matter before the Board.

The Superintendent is responsible for keeping employees' personnel files current.  The Board Secretary shall be the custodian of employee records.

Approved:  December 2008
Reviewed:  February 2022
Revised:     February 2022

Employees traveling on behalf of the District and performing approved District business will be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses. Actual and necessary travel expenses shall include, but not be limited to, transportation and/or mileage costs, lodging expenses, meal expenses, and registration costs.

Travel Within the District

Employees required to travel in their personal vehicle between District buildings to carry out the duties of their position may be reimbursed at the rate (calculated in cents per mile) allowed and/or recommended by law. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to approve an employee’s travel within the District. It is the responsibility of the Board to review the Superintendent’s travel within the District through the Board’s audit and approval process.

Travel Outside the District

Travel outside of the District must be verbally pre-approved by the employee’s supervisor. Pre-approval will include an evaluation of the necessity of the travel, the reason for the travel, and an estimate of the cost of the travel to qualify as approved District business.

Reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses will be allowed for travel outside the District for pre-approved travel and limited to pre-approved expenses. Prior to Reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses, the employee must provide the District with an itemized receipt for each claim item. In exceptional circumstances, the Superintendent may allow a claim without proper receipt. Written documentation explaining the exceptional circumstances is maintained as part of the District’s record of the claim.

Failure to have a detailed receipt will make the expense a personal expense. Personal expenses, including mileage, in excess of that required for the trip will be reimbursed by the employee to the District no later than ten (10) working days following the date of the expense.

Approved:  December 2008
Reviewed:  February 2022
Revised:     February 2022

The Board recognizes and appreciates the service of its employees. Employees who retire or resign may be honored by the Board, administration and staff in an appropriate manner.

If the form of honor thought appropriate by the administration and employees involves unusual expense to the school District, the Superintendent shall seek prior approval from the Board.

Approved:  December 2008
Reviewed:  February 2022

Employees shall not engage in political activity upon property under the jurisdiction of the Board or at District activities or events. Activities including, but not limited to, posting of political circulars or petitions, the distribution of political circulars or petitions, the collection of or solicitation for campaign funds, solicitation for campaign workers, and the use of students for writing or addressing political materials, or the distribution of such materials to or by students are specifically prohibited.

Violation of this policy may be grounds for disciplinary action.

Approved:  March 2007

Reviewed:  February 2022
 

Employees may use District credit cards for the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of work-related duties. Actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of work-related duties include, but are not limited to, fuel for District vehicles used for transporting students to and from school and for school-sponsored events, payment of claims related to professional development of the bBoard and employees, and other expenses required by employees and the Board in the performance of their duties.

Employees and officers using a District credit card must submit an itemized receipt in addition to a credit card receipt indicating the date of the expense for each claim item.  Failure to provide a proper receipt shall make the employee responsible for expenses incurred. Those expenses shall be reimbursed to the District no later than ten working days following use of the District's credit card.  In exceptional circumstances, the Superintendent or Board may allow a claim without proper receipt.  Written documentation explaining the exceptional circumstances shall be maintained as part of the District's record of the claim.

The District may maintain a District credit card for actual and necessary expenses incurred by employees and officers in the performance of their duties. The Superintendent may maintain a District credit card for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of the his/her duties. The Transportation Director may maintain a District credit card for fueling District vehicles in accordance with board policy.

It shall be the responsibility of the Superintendent to determine whether the District credit card use is for appropriate school business. It shall be the responsibility of the Board to determine through its audit and approval process whether the District credit card used by the Superintendent and the Board is for appropriate school business.

Approved:  December 2008
Reviewed:  February 2022