Proposal to revise Norwin's nepotism policy fails to gain support

Norwin School Board won’t be changing its nepotism policy to include asking prospective employees if they are friends with a school official or school board member before they are hired.

Director Bob Wayman proposed the revision to avoid questions of impropriety in who the district hires, especially in cases where people have connections to others who work in the district.

“If that is disclosed upfront, that never becomes an issue. The burden is on the applicant,” Wayman said.

At a meeting last month, Wayman said a friendship with an administrator or board member would not exclude the person from being hired.

Darlene Ciocca, board president, said the board’s policy committee reviewed the existing policy on nepotism in regard to hiring to see if changes were necessary and the committee determined no additional provisions were needed.

Ciocca said after the meeting that using the term “friend” is subjective. One person might think they are a friend with someone but the other person does not.

Although no other board member offered to support the idea, Wayman said it is a good practice, particularly when it comes to public employees.

The nepotism policy that is to be presented for a vote Monday requires all candidates for a full-time or part-time job to reveal whether they are related to a current employee or board member. Any person hired with a relative at Norwin cannot have that relative responsible for the hiring decision or get a job that would put them in the position of being the immediate supervisor of a relative or where a relative would be their direct supervisor.

The policy’s definition of a family member includes spouse, parent, foster or stepparent, child, grandparent or grandchild, in-law, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew. It also includes someone living in the household who is regarded by the family as being part of the family.

The policy could be waived if agreed upon by six of the nine school board members.