Acceptance of Gifts

The acceptance of any gift, benefit, loan, or any other thing of value, pecuniary or otherwise, from any salesman, supplier, or any other person or firm who either does business with the St. Louis Public Schools System or is contemplating doing business with said system is prohibited, except as hereinafter provided.

It is not a violation of this regulation for an employee to accept the following:

1. Token gifts, the total value of which does not exceed $25 during a school year

2. Gratuitous meals provided on an individual or group basis so long as the meal is related to discussions that are a part of the employees professional responsibilities

3. Out of town travel paid for by a company provided that a travel request is first submitted to and approved by the board

4. An incentive or promotional premium given by a company to all customers for office use

5. Sample books, textbooks, or other supplies, materials, and commodities for use in schools or offices

6. A loan from an institutional lender made at the prevailing rate of interest and with the security, if any, normally required by such lender for loans of its type.

A gift to a group of employees in an office will be pro-rated among those employees. A gift or loan to a member of an employee's immediate family constitutes a gift or loan to the employee. A gift of a ticket or tickets to any type of entertainment constitutes a gift for the purpose of this regulation.

A list of companies doing business with the St. Louis Public Schools is available at the offices of the human resource officer, treasurer, all assistant superintendents, and the purchasing division. All questions about the status of a company should be directed to the human resource officer. The human resource officer shall advise employees who seek advice on whether acceptance of a particular gift violates this regulation.

Regulation approved: June 26, 1990

Revised: January 12, 1999