Policy 1.08

Expenditures of Board Members

1. Board Member Budgets

1. A budget will be established for each board member in an amount sufficient to cover their operating expenses.

2. The amount of each member’s budget will be reviewed annually and will be established at the time of final adoption of the district budget.

3. All expenditures incurred by board members - including, but not limited to, travel expenses, the cost of supplies, communication costs - will be charged against their individual budgets in accordance with district policies and practices governing such expenditures.

2. Equipment to be Supplied to Board Members

1. In consideration of the duties of members of the board, the district shall be authorized to provide members with the following items of furniture and equipment to be used by them in their homes or places of business in the exercise of their duties as members of the board:

1. Laptop computer with docking station, printer and remote telecommunication device;

2. Facsimile ("FAX")/answering machine;

3. File cabinet;

4. Facsimile machine stand;

5. Personal computer workstation;

6. Cellular telephone;

7. Business line (for voice and FAX communications);

8. Data line (for e-mail and connection to the district computer system);

9. Business telephone.

2. Such equipment will consist of "standard" equipment then in use within the district as determined by district staff.

3. The district may not honor any requests by board members for equipment in addition to the equipment authorized by this policy nor may the district provide any modifications to the basic configuration of such equipment if such modifications require that additional cost be incurred by the district unless such modification has been approved by the board.

3. Communication costs

1. The district will pay the communications costs of members from their individual budgets.

2. The monthly cost of service for the business and data lines provided to members at their homes will be reimbursed.

3. In addition, the district will reimburse members for the cost of any toll calls incurred on these lines or through the use of their cellular telephones in connection with the exercise of their duties as members of the board.

4. Members will establish a deposit account with the district to fund any non-business use of district provided telecommunications lines or cellular telephones.

5. Members will identify any non-business use of their lines or cellular telephones to the district on a regular basis and the cost of such use will be charged against the deposit account.

4. Travel Expenses

1. All travel reimbursements shall be in accordance with florida statutes and state board rules.

1. The policy of the board with regard to the reimbursement of travel expenses, as enumerated in policy 6.01, shall apply to the reimbursement of travel by members of the board. In addition:

1. Requests for reimbursement of out of county travel expenses shall be submitted to the appropriate financial department within ninety (90) days of the date on which the travel was completed or by the end of the fiscal year.

2. Requests for reimbursement for the cost of in county travel shall be submitted at least quarterly to the appropriate financial department.

2. The following additional policies shall apply to travel by members of the board:

1. Travel to meetings and conferences is permitted if it specifically supports the educational mission of the district. Such travel should directly relate to education and board business, including lobbying efforts approved by the board. Meetings, the purpose of which is primarily political or partisan, even if education is a topic included in the meeting agenda, are not considered to be generally approved travel. Questions regarding the reimbursability of travel expenses will be resolved by the board as a whole.

2. Where travel by a board member is reimbursed by another government agency or other third party:

1. To the extent practicable the member should seek reimbursement directly from the agency, and district funds should not be used.

2. When the district funds board member travel expenditures that are subsequently reimbursed by another agency, the member must transmit such reimbursement to the accounting services department within thirty (30) days of receipt from the agency.

5. Professional Publications and Periodicals.

The district will pay the cost of professional publications and periodicals of members from their individual budgets.

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