Effective September 1, 2022

This Code of Conduct has been created to establish and maintain effective oversight over the Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Department’s financial management system that provides reasonable assurance that the Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Department is managing the program in compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations and terms and conditions of the program award and;

To establish and maintain effective oversight over those definitive actions related to the procurement process, establish standards of ethical conduct and integrity for procurement actions, and provide full and open competition in all procurement actions.

615 Post Oak Road | Fairfield, Texas 75840 | (903) 389-2532

As representatives of the Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Department, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner, maintaining high standards of integrity and the use of good judgment. Employees are expected to be principled in their business interactions and act in good faith with individuals both inside and outside the Fairfield ISD.

The following Code of conduct shall govern the performance, behavior and actions of the Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Department, including employees, directors, officials, or agents who are engaged in any aspect of procurement, including – but not limited to – purchasing goods and services; awarding contracts; or the administration and supervision of contracts.

Code of Conduct

• No employee, directors or agent of the Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Department shall participate in the selection, award or administration of a bid or contract supported by federal funds if a conflict of interest is real or apparent to a reasonable person.
• Conflicts of interest may arise when any employee, directors or agent of the Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Department has a financial, family or any other beneficial interest in the vendor selected or considered for an award.
• No employee, directors or agent of the Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Department shall award contracts to, or show favoritism toward a member of his/her immediate family, spouse’s family or to any company, vendor or concern who either employs or has any relationship to a family member; or award a contract or bid which violates the spirit or intent of Federal, State and local procurement laws and policies established to maximize free and open competition among qualified vendors. Those circumstances where interests, financial or otherwise, are not substantial or are within the limits of applicable Federal, State and local laws and the policies and procedures of the Fairfield ISD, the Superintendent’s Cabinet shall determine whether the conflict is material under the circumstances.
• The Fairfield ISD Child Nutrition Department employees, directors, and agents will not solicit gifts, including but not limited to travel packages or other incentives, and/or donations from prospective contractors. However, incentive language may be included as part of the competitive procurement (formal bid and request for proposal) solicitation language to acquire the most favorable terms for the operation and benefit of the non-profit food service account. Such incentives include but are not limited to volume rebates, timely payment discounts, program promotion assistance, upfront savings, etc…

Conflicts of Interest

Fairfield ISD employees must not solicit or accept gratuities, favors, or anything of value to perform improper financial actions, including actions related to procuring contractors or parties to subcontracts. When this occurs, there is a conflict of interest.

A conflict of interest is any action that allows a person to benefit at the expense of the public interest or the expense of his or her employer. A conflict of interest may be real or apparent, i.e., a conflict of interest does not have to be acted upon to be considered a conflict of interest.

A real or apparent conflict of interest occurs in situations such as the following:

• Fairfield ISD employee has a financial or other interest in a business being considered for a contract.
• Fairfield ISD employee receives a tangible personal benefit from a business being considered for a contract.
• Fairfield ISD employee has a personal relationship or friendship with a business being considered for a contract.
• Fairfield ISD employee is employed by, about to be employed by, or is seeking employment from a business being considered for a contract.

Fairfield ISD will consult with their attorney or legal counsel if there is a question about whether a specific situation is a conflict of interest.