District credit cards may be issued and/or made available to employees and officers only for the time period and purpose for which they are needed.  The district’s administration, in consultation with the board, will determine which employees and officers will be issued and/or provided use of district credit cards and the time period that they are needed.  Prior to issuing and/or providing use of a district credit card to an employee or officer, the employee or officer will be instructed regarding the use of district credit cards and they will provide a written acknowledgement that they understand their responsibilities in regard to the use of district credit cards.  Employees and officers will turn district issued and/or provided credit cards back to the district at the end of the time period for which they have been issued and/or provided or upon separation of employment.  Use of district issued credit cards is a privilege and the superintendent may withdraw the privilege of using district issued credit cards at any time.

Employees may use school district credit cards for the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of work-related duties.  Actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of work-related duties include, but are not limited to, fuel for school district transportation vehicles used for transporting students to and from school and for school-sponsored events, payment of claims related to professional development of the board and employees, and other expenses required by employees and the board in the performance of their duties.  However, purchase orders shall be used whenever possible, along with school issued checks, and credit cards used only when the business will not accept a school purchase order.

Employees and officers using a school district credit card must submit a detailed receipt in addition to a credit card receipt indicating the date, purpose and nature of the expense for each claim item.  Failure to provide a proper receipt shall make the employee responsible for expenses incurred.  Those expenses shall be reimbursed to the school district no later than ten working days following use of the school district’s credit card.  In exceptional circumstances, the superintendent or board may allow a claim without proper receipt.  Written documentation explaining the exceptional circumstances shall be maintained as part of the school district’s record of the claim.

The school district may maintain a school district credit card for actual and necessary expenses incurred by employees and officers in the performance of their duties.  The superintendent may maintain a school district credit card for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of the superintendent’s duties.  The transportation director may maintain a school district credit card for fueling school district transportation vehicles in accordance with board policy.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to determine whether the school district credit card use is for appropriate school business.  It shall be the responsibility of the board to determine through the audit and approval process of the board whether the school district credit card use by the superintendent and the board is for appropriate school business.

Failure to adhere to the credit card policy and regulations may subject the employee to disciplinary action being taken.  Chronic or very serious misconduct regarding this policy and regulations shall subject the staff to more serious disciplinary action being taken, which may include suspension and/or termination of employment.

Approved:  November 17, 1997

Revised/Reviewed:  January 24, 2022