ATLANTA – State Representative Kevin Levitas (D- Atlanta) will pre-file legislation next week to protect DeKalb County taxpayers and students from conflicts of interest involving school board members. The bill is known as the “DeKalb School Board Transparency Act.”
“The citizens of DeKalb are entitled to be represented by a school board free of conflicts of interest,” said Rep. Levitas.
Rep. Levitas noted that just this year a school board member was serving concurrently on the DeKalb Development Authority and was prepared to vote on the sale of property that presented a potential conflict of interest between his duties as members of both bodies. Levitas said that his bill would clarify both the rights and responsibilities of those serving on the school board, providing a clear set of guidelines to help members avoid conflicts and to assist DeKalb citizen in maintaining the integrity of its school system.
“This is about protecting the integrity of the DeKalb County School System and ensuring the honest and fair services of elected officials to the public whom they are supposed to represent,” Rep. Levitas stated. “Other counties have put ethics legislation in place after major problems have come to light. My bill is aimed at preventing them from arising in the first place as well as at having a means for remedying breaches of the public trust if they do arise.”
The Transparency Act would provide a code of ethics and establish an ethics commission for the DeKalb County School System. In addition, it would provide a list of prohibited practices by board members and require fuller disclosures about potential conflicts of interest.
“Passage of the DeKalb School Board Transparency Act would accomplish two important goals,” said Rep. Levitas. “First, it would send a strong message to the public and to school board members about the paramount importance of the integrity of the County’s school system. Second, it would clarify ill-defined conflict of interest guidelines and provide school board members with a clear set of principles by which to evaluate potential conflicts. The citizens of DeKalb deserve the impartial services of their elected officials on the school board, and this measure would encourage independent decision-making while holding accountable those who choose to breach the public’s trust.”
Rep. Levitas’ bill will be assigned a number and then referred to a House committee when the General Assembly convenes in January.
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Representative Kevin Levitas represents the citizens of District 82, which includes portions of DeKalb County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2005, and currently serves on the Judiciary Non-Civil, Science and Technology, Transportation, and Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committees.