Stevensville School District
INSTRUCTION
Personal Conduct
School District employees will abide by all district policies, state, and federal laws in the course of their employment. Where applicable, employees will abide by and honor the professional educator code of conduct.
All employees are expected to maintain high standard of honesty, integrity, professionalism, decorum, and impartiality in the conduct of District business. All employees shall maintain appropriate employee-student relationship boundaries in all respects, including but not limited to personal, speech, print, and digital communications. Failure to honor the appropriate employee student relationship boundary will result in a report to the Department of Public Health and Human Services and the appropriate law enforcement agency.
In accordance with state law, and employee shall not dispense or utilize any information gained from employment with the District, accept gifts or benefits, or participate in business enterprises or employment that creates a conflict or interest with the faithful and impartial discharge of the employee’s District duties. A District employee, before acting in a manner which might impinge on any fiduciary duty, may disclose the nature of the private interest which would create 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. Curriculum or material created within the course of the employee’s duties for the District using District resources are considered to be the property of the District.
Further, employees are expected to hold confidential all information deemed not to be for public consumption as determined by state law and Board policy. Employees also will respect the confidentiality of people served in the course of an employee’s duties and use information gained in a responsible manner. The Board may discipline, up to and including discharge, any employee who discloses confidential and/or private information learned during the course of the employee’s duties or learned as a result of the employee’s participation in a closed (executive) session of the Board. Discretion should be used even within the school system’s own network of communication and confidential information should only be communicated on a need to know basis.
Administrators and supervisors may set forth specific rules and regulations governing staff conduct on the job within a particular building.
Firearms and Weapons
Employees of the District shall not injure or threaten to injure another person; damage another’s property or that of the District; or possess any firearm or other non-firearm weapon on school property at any time.
For the purposes of this policy, the term “firearm” means (A) any weapon which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; (B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon; (C) any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or (D) any destructive device pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 921 (4). Such term does not include an antique firearm pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 921 (16).
For purposes of this policy, “non-firearm weapon” means any object, device, or instrument designed as a weapon or through its use is capable of intimidating threating or producing bodily harm or which may be used to inflict injury, including but not limited to air guns; pellet guns; BB guns; fake or facsimile weapons; all knives; blades; clubs; metal knuckles; nunchucks; throwing stars; explosives; fireworks; mace or other propellants; stun guns; ammunition; poisons; chains; arrows; and objects that have been modified to serve as a weapon.
District administrators are authorized to appropriate action, as circumstances warrant, to enforce this section of the policy including but not limited to requesting the assistance of law enforcement in accordance with Montana law.
For the purpose of this policy, “school property” means within school buildings, in vehicles used for school purposes, or on owed or leased school land or grounds. “Building” specifically means a combination of any materials, weather mobile, portable, or fixed, to form a structure and the related facilities for the use or occupancy by persons or property owned or leased by a local school district that are used for instruction for student activities as specified in Section 50-60-101(2), MCA and Section 45-8-361, MCA. The term is construed as though followed by words “or part or parts of a building” and is considered to include all stadiums, bleachers, and other similar outdoor facilities, whether temporary or permanently fixed.
This section does not apply to a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or an individual previously authorized by the Board of Trustees to possess a firearm or weapon in a school building.
The Board of Trustees shall annually review this policy and update this policy as determined necessary by the trustees based on changing circumstances pertaining to school safety.
Cross Reference:
Professional Educators of Montana Code of Ethics
5121 Applicability of Personnel Policies
3311 Firearms and Weapons
5232 Abused and Neglected Children
4332 Conduct on School Property
Legal Reference:
§20-1-201, MCA School officers not to act as agents
Title 2, Chapter 2, Part 1 Standards of Conduct
§39-2-102, MCA What belongs to employer
§45-8-361, MCA Possession or allowing possession of a weapon in a school building
§45-5-501, MCA Definitions
§45-5-502, MCA Sexual Assault
ARM 10.55.701 (2)(d) Board of Trustees
Policy History:
Adopted on: February 12, 2002
Reviewed on: February 2020; March 16, 2021; May 10, 2022
Revised on: March 202; May 11, 2021; June 14, 2022
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