Schools

Should D135 Make a Rule That Relatives Cannot Supervise Each Other?

The Orland School District 135 board is considering an official clamp down on relatives working within the same departments.

District 135 is looking to eliminate the possibility of relatives working together in situations where one would be supervising the other, when hiring new employees.

During Monday night’s committee of the whole meeting, the Board of Education talked about creating a nepotism policy to prevent such a situation.

But according to Julie Oberwise, D135 director of human resources, no other area school district has one in place to get a sense of what such a policy is in practice. Interim Superintendent Dennis Soustek said the school board shot down nepotism policy proposals in 2006 and 2009.

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Board President John Carmody said he was specifically looking for a rule to prevent relatives supervising each other.

“At that point it would be difficult for that person doing the hiring to be unbiased in their selection,” Carmody said.

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Soustek recommended that full disclosure be added to all job applications, asking potential job candidates to list anyone to whom he or she are related who work in the district, how he or she learned about the position and other similar details.

“Part of the argument used by the board in 2006 and 2009 for not having a nepotism policy in 2006 and 2009 is some positions are hard to fill,” Soustek said. “And number two, always get the best person applying for the position. But I can understand why you’d want something about that direct link.”

Soustek also pointed out that since the school board makes the final call on hires, they would be aware of anything found in answers to the full disclosure questions that might lead to an inappropriate situation.

Board member Lynne Donegan said having both the full disclosure and a nepotism policy is the best route.

“We should try to do something before the new superintendent is brought on,” Donegan said. “Then there’s no room for error.”

A draft of the policy is expected to come before the school board by the March 12 meeting.


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