Wake County, NC teacher gifts of more than $75 would have to be pooled under proposed policy

The Wake County, North Carolina school board is looking to provide teachers with more clarity on what gifts they can accept.

The board gave initial approval Tuesday to a new employee conflict of interest policy that allows teachers to accept gifts of up to $75 from individual parents and community members. The new policy also allows teachers to receive gifts of more than $75 if it comes from groups such as PTAs and multiple parents.

The board is expected to give final approval on Nov. 21 — a few days before Thanksgiving and the holiday gift-giving season.

The new rules on employees gifts are supposed to give teachers more guidance.

Wake County’s school employee gift policy tells teachers they can only receive “token gifts of insubstantial value.” But school administrators and PTA leaders said the vague wording left teachers uncertain of what was permitted.

School administrators initially proposed setting a $50 gift limit in the new policy.

Some board members had not wanted to set any gift limit or to use a limit of $100 or $200 for gifts from individual parents. Board member Cheryl Caulfield was the only one to vote against the new policy because it sets a price maximum.

“I know that even going out for a meal with just your family or spouse can be something that’s really hard for a teacher or any staff to do,” Caulfield said. “So for me, any gift that we can give a teacher can be a really big relief. People can do what they can.”

But other board members said they need to be sensitive to how some parents can’t afford large gifts.

In a compromise, the board’s policy committee had recommended a $75 individual gift limit.

“I see there being a value in a limitation so that all of our students and families are honored in the policies that we make,” said board member Tara Waters. “I think $75 is still a very generous amount.

“But I also think the policy protects our educators as well. Some may be uncomfortable accepting large gifts.”

Drawings, door prizes and other items awarded by the school system, professional associations or parent organizations to an employee aren’t subject to the gift limit. This would permit multiple parents to pool their resources to provide a gift of more than $75 to a teacher.

Before the final vote, board members asked staff to confirm that the policy would not override another policy that allows teachers to be paid for private tutoring.