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Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 557

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
  • School board: means the board of school directors elected to manage the schools of a school district, the prudential committee of an incorporated school district, the supervisory union board of directors, and the supervisors of unorganized towns and gores. See
  • School district: means town school districts, union school districts, interstate school districts, city school districts, unified union districts, and incorporated school districts, each of which is governed by a publicly elected board. See
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Education. See
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
  • State Board: means the State Board of Education established by chapter 3 of this title. See
  • Supervisory union: means an administrative, planning, and educational service unit created by the State Board under section 261 of this title, that consists of two or more school districts; if the context clearly allows, the term also means a supervisory district. See

§ 557. Gratuity or compensation prohibited

(a) A member of the State Board, a supervisory union board, or a school board, the Secretary, and any person employed by one of the boards or by the Agency shall not solicit or receive directly or indirectly any gift or compensation for recommending or voting on any finding, ruling, decision, or report, or voting to procure any service, thing, or supply purchased with public funds. A violation of this provision is subject to 13 V.S.A. § 1106(b).

(b) A member of the State Board, a supervisory union board or a school board, and any person employed by one of the boards shall not receive directly or indirectly anything of value, by contract or otherwise, from the school district or supervisory union he or she serves unless it is received:

(1) as a result of a contract accepted after a public bid in accordance with law;

(2) in public recognition of service or achievement;

(3) as regular salary or expenses allowed by law for official duties performed as a member of the board; or

(4) for employment according to the provisions of section 558 of this title.

(c) No school board member or supervisory union board member shall vote on any contract or purchase in which he or she has a direct or indirect interest.

(d) A person who violates subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall be fined not more than $1,000.00 and shall be incapable of holding elective or appointed office in this State for two years next ensuing. (Added 1969, No. 298 (Adj. Sess.), § 34; amended 1989, No. 188 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 64, eff. Feb. 14, 2014.)