Jerome Joint School District No. 261

PERSONNEL 5270

Personal Conduct

Employees are expected to maintain high standards of honesty, integrity and impartiality in the conduct of District business and required to comply and conform to the Idaho law and the Code of Ethics of the Idaho Teaching Profession.  

In addition to the conduct enumerated in Idaho law and the Code of Ethics of the Idaho Teaching Profession, an employee should not dispense or utilize any information gained from employment with the District, accept gifts or benefits, or participate in business enterprises or employment which create a conflict of interest with the faithful and impartial discharge of the employee’s District duties.  A District employee may, prior to acting in a manner which may impinge on any fiduciary duty, disclose the nature of the private interest which creates a conflict.  Care should be taken to avoid using, or avoid the appearance of using, official positions and confidential information for personal advantage or gain.

Further, employees should hold confidential all information deemed to be not for public consumption as determined by law and Board policy.  Employees shall also respect the confidentiality of people served in the course of the employee’s duties and use information gained in a responsible manner.  Discretion should be employed even within the school system’s own network of communication.

District employees who are contacted by the media should direct such inquiries to either the individual in question or to the Superintendent or designee.

Administrators and supervisors may set forth specific rules and regulations governing an employees’ conduct on the job within a particular building.

Personnel Conflict of Interest

It is not uncommon for a District to employ people who are related to one another or romantically involved with one another. However, it is inappropriate for one family member or romantic partner to have direct influence over the other's conditions of employment (i.e., salary, hours worked, shifts, evaluation, etc.).

For the purpose of this policy, family member or romantic partners are defined as spouse, domestic partner, daughter, son, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, or son-in-law.

In any case, when employees are unsure about a potential conflict, they should fully disclose the circumstances in writing to their supervisor. If one family member or romantic partner has influence over another family member or romantic partner's conditions of employment, the following should occur:

1. In collaboration with the supervisor, the involved employees will be provided 30 days to make a decision regarding a change. Options include, but are not limited to: 

1. One employee applying to transfer to another area; or,

2. Revising the reporting structure in the department so that one employee no longer has direct influence over the other employee’s conditions of employment; or

2. If a decision is not reached by the end of the thirty-day period, the department head, or next level of administrator, will resolve the situation.

Nothing in this policy shall require the Superintendent or Board, in the case when the conflict of interest directly relates to the Superintendent, to transfer an employee to a different position in an effort to avoid a conflict of interest if doing so would not be in the best interest of the District.

Insubordinate Conduct

In the educational setting there are high expectations for employee behavior.  This is necessary to ensure effective and efficient operation of the school and to model and reinforce appropriate professional interactions for our students.  Accordingly, employees shall treat all administrators and colleagues in an appropriate professional manner. 

Employees shall comply with all work-related orders, instructions, and directives issued by a proper authority.  Insubordination; manifest disrespect; acts or language which hamper(s) the school’s ability to control, manage, or function; displays of unacceptable modeling of rules for students or staff; or any other serious breaches involving improper attitudes or improper action toward persons in positions of authority are just cause for and may result in employee discipline, up to and including possible termination.         

Examples of improper conduct include, but are not limited to:

1. Disobeying an appropriate order, instruction or directive of a supervising employee or administrator;

2. Refusing to accept a reasonable and proper work assignment or directive of a supervising employee or administrator;

3. Disputing or ridiculing authority;

4. Exceeding authority; and/or

5. Using vulgar or profane language to a supervising employee or administrator. 

Legal Reference: Description:

I.C. § 33-1208 Revocation, Suspension or Denial of Certificate – Grounds

I.C. § 33-1209 Proceedings to Revoke, Suspend or Deny or Place Reasonable Conditions on a Certificate

IDAPA 08.02.02.076 Code of Ethics of the Idaho Teaching Profession

Policy History:

Adopted on: 03/25/2008

Revised on: 01/24/2017

Revised on: 08/28/2018

Revised on: 08/26/2025