5525 Professional, Civic, and Service Organization Memberships
Administrative staff are encouraged to be members of and participate in professional associations which have as their purposes the upgrading of school administration and the continued improvement of education in general.
Administrative staff are encouraged to be active participants in civic and service organizations in the community. The Board of Directors believes that the district will benefit from the participation of administrative staff in civic and service organizations in the community because of improved reciprocal understanding and communication between community leaders and district staff. This will lead to increased community support for the schools, school programs that are more responsive to the needs of the community, and opportunities for cooperative support of school and community programs.
Membership fees, travel, and meal costs attributable to an employee's participation in the following civic and service organizations will be paid by the district, subject to the restrictions of this and other district policies: Pierce County civic and service organizations (i.e., the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary, and the Parkland Community Association).
No district-paid multiple memberships are permitted unless the superintendent finds in writing that specific employees have a difference in perspective that will provide benefit to the district through their participation in the same organization. For instance, principals that represent various schools and attendance areas might all provide benefit to the district by belonging to one community-wide service organization.
District payment of membership fees and related costs for participation in civic and service organizations is limited to staff in the following positions: the superintendent and employees who receive written approval from the superintendent to serve as representatives of the district.
The district recognizes that there will be indirect costs attributable to participation in civic and service organizations for employee time. The district encourages full participation in organizations for which it is paying costs, although no employee may act as an officer or take a leadership role in more than one organization for which the district is paying the membership costs. With prior written approval of the superintendent, the district will pay costs related to attendance at meetings related to membership in civic and service organizations covered by this policy, including conventions.
The district shall pay no more than $500 per employee per year for costs related to membership in a civic or service organization covered by this policy.
The superintendent shall approve in writing all requests for district-paid memberships in civic and service organizations covered by this policy. By June 1 of each year, the superintendent shall submit, through the end-of-year report, a written report to the Board of Directors including the staff and organizations for which membership costs have been paid, the number and circumstances of multiple memberships, and total membership costs for civic and service organizations. Staff may be reimbursed for travel, meals, or other appropriate expenditures related to district-paid memberships in civic and service organizations pursuant to Policy No. 6213: Reimbursement for Travel Expenses.
Employees for whom the district pays any membership costs in civic and service organizations may not exert influence on other employees to provide financial contributions or other support to the civic or service organization. Neither may they use the civic or service organization as a forum for lobbying in support of or opposition to political or legislative actions, or the promotion of endeavors in which they may have a direct or indirect financial interest or may acquire a personal benefit or gain.
Adoption Date: 10/22/96
Franklin Pierce Schools
Revised: 11/18/08
Classification: Optional