Jerome Joint School District No. 261

PERSONNEL 5250

Certified Staff Complaints And Grievances

It is the Board’s desire that administrative procedures for settling staff complaints and grievances be an orderly

process within which solutions may be pursued. Further, that the procedure provide prompt and equitable

resolution at the lowest possible administrative level. Additionally, it is the Board’s desire that each employee be

assured an opportunity for orderly presentation and review of complaints without fear of reprisal.

A complaint is an assertion by an employee that there has been a violation, misinterpretation, or inequitable

application of district policies, regulations and procedures, existing laws or other actions that adversely and

directly affects the employee and/or their work.

It is the intent of this procedure that employee complaints will be identified and corrected at the earliest possible

time, and at the lowest level of supervision.

Complaint processing should be viewed as a positive and constructive effort that seeks to establish the facts upon

which the complaint is based and to come to a fair conclusion. Employees will not be discriminated against nor will

reprisal be attempted against an employee because they filed a complaint.

Complaints will be processed according to the step‐by‐step procedure outlined as follows.

Working Site, Level 1.

a. A complaint will be presented orally and informally to the immediate supervisor. If the complaint is not

resolved, it will be reduced to writing and submitted to the immediate supervisor. A copy of the complaint will also

be submitted to the superintendent by the complainant.

b. Within five workdays of receiving the complaint, the immediate supervisor will render a decision in writing to

the complainant.

c. After receiving the decision at step b, the complainant may appeal the decision in writing to the appropriate

supervisor in the next level of supervision if one exists at the work site.

d. The supervisor will within five work days of receipt of the appeal investigate and render a decision in writing to

the complainant and their immediate supervisor.

District Review, Level 2.

e. After receiving the decision at level 1 the complainant may appeal the decision in writing to the superintendent

or official designee.

f. The superintendent or official designee, will within ten work days of receipt of the appeal investigate and render

a decision in writing to the complainant and their supervisor.

Advisory Committee Review, Level 3.

g. After receiving the decision at level 2 the complainant may appeal the decision in writing to the superintendent

or official designee, requesting a District Grievance Advisory Committee review. The committee shall consist of the

superintendent, one member selected by the aggrieved employee, one member selected by the person the

grievance is filed against and a fourth member selected by the original three members of the committee. The

superintendent will be an ex‐officio non‐voting member of the committee. If the superintendent is party to the

original complaint a suitable replacement will be determined by committee members.

h. The District Grievance Advisory Committee will within ten work days of selection, investigate and render a

decision in writing to the complainant and all those originally involved in the complaint.

Governing Board, Level 4.

i. After receiving the decision at level 3 the complainant or the person or persons originally involved in the

complaint may appeal the decision in writing to the Board of Trustees.

j. The board will schedule a hearing within twenty workdays following receipt of the appeal.

k. The board will render a decision within ten workdays after the hearing and the decision reached will be deemed

final.

Policy History:

Adopted on: 03/25/08

Revised on: