FICAL ETHICS “Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” - Andy Warhol

How do you want to spend your 15 minutes of fame?

Conflict of Interest Questionnaire This questionnaire is to be filed in accordance with chapter 176 of the Local Government Code by a person doing business with the governmental entity. By law this questionnaire must be filed with the records administrator of the Local government not later than the 7th business day after the date the person becomes aware of facts that require the statement to be filed. A person commits an offense if the person violates Section 176.006, Local Government Code. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

Affiliation or business relationships with an employee or contractor that must be reported. If your spouse, parent, or child is the District’s Director of Purchasing and a bid is being submitted to the Purchasing Department, this relationship must be reported. If your spouse, parent, or child is the Principal at a School and your business may sell items directly to that school, this relationship must be reported. If your neighbor or friend is a District employee that would be making a recommendation concerning a purchase or sales transaction involving you and you feel that your relationship with this employee could affect their recommendation, this relationship must be reported. If any other situation exists that would result in a conflict of interest, the relationship must be reported.

DISD official put on leave as consultant problems examined A top Dallas school administrator helped a close friend obtain $40,500 in district consulting work last school year, never disclosing to her bosses that she and the consultant had lived together since 1995. The Dallas Morning News also discovered that the administrator, an Assistant Superintendent, pays another district consultant $100 a month for the use of a Dallas address, allowing her to skirt a requirement that top administrators live in DISD. When district leaders began examining the deals, they found a system in need of reform. Hundreds of former employees have returned to the district as private consultants, raising questions about patronage and conflicts of interest.

DISD official put on leave as consultant problems examined The consultants proposal included a conflict of interest disclosure statement in which she swore that no district employees “have any direct or indirect interest from the contractor.” As a member of the evaluation committee, the Assistant Superintendent was required to disclose any conflicts “either real or apparent” regarding “any contract… under consideration by this committee,” according to a memo distributed to everyone on the committee. Dallas Morning News March 18, 2007

Northwest ISD Policy on American Express Credit Cards American Express Credit Cards are to be used for travel only. Original Receipts must accompany the statement including explanations for expenditures. Why does Northwest have such policies?

A former secretary for Dallas ISD is facing a 30 year prison sentence and a $750,000 fine for making personal purchases with her district-issued credit card. Another DISD school secretary plead guilty to one count felony theft for charging $100,000 in personal purchases to the district. As many as 10 employees could face criminal charges and that as many as 600 others could be disciplined administratively. The District lawyers have said that the top official in charge of credit cards used poor judgment in breaking the very rules her department had set forth and was suppose to enforce. Dallas Morning News March 28 & 29,2007 & July 17, 2007

Northwest ISD Purchasing Policy All purchases to be paid for with District Funds, from any account, shall be made on a District purchase order. Persons making unauthorized purchases shall assume full responsibility for all such debts made. The Board shall not be responsible for debts incurred by persons or organizations not directly under Board control or for any debt made if the purchasing and expending procedures defined by the District are not followed. NISD Local Policy CH(L) Why does Northwest have such policies?

Two top Keller school district officials have resigned in the wake of an investigation into thousands of misspent tax dollars. The district violated state law & its own policies when it paid a company $75,000 for repairs without seeking competitive bids or school board approval. After investigating, officials found that the district paid the $75,000 with out purchase orders. Fort Worth Star-Telegram March 29, 2007

Houston school employees failed to ask enough questions and follow proper procedures while a secretary systematically stole almost $150,000 over a year before anyone noticed. A senior secretary in the school district’s bond office set up a construction company without anyone verifying it was legitimate. A Harris County grand jury indicted the secretary on a charge of theft by a public servant. If convicted, the former secretary faces five years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Austin American-Statesman June 9,2007 Houston Chronicle July 1, 2007

Northwest ISD Policy for Fund Raising Activities All collections and disbursements associated with any fund raising activity coordinated by the school or school-recognized student group shall be transacted through the Northwest ISD Activity Fund. Upon completion of fund raising activities, the Financial Recap summarizing the receipts and expenditures of the fundraiser should be completed by the sponsor and a copy submitted with the deposit of monies. The Financial Recap should indicate gross collections and list any expenses incurred relative to the activity merchandise. Disposition of the net proceeds (profits) should also be disclosed if funds were collected for a specific purpose. Why does Northwest have such policies?

Carroll ISD officials plan to ask parents who did not turn in cash from a fall cheerleading fundraiser to return the money. Some parents of last year’s cheerleaders told district officials last week that in February they used more than half the money from a September fundraiser at Macy’s to hold a party that excluded some members of the squad. The parents who organized the fundraiser did not follow district procedure, which called for depositing about $840 in cash into a cheerleading activities account controlled by the district. Attorneys for Carroll ISD advised administrators to seek the return of the money. Fort Worth Star-Telegram March 27, 2007