| Advisory Opinion as to potential conflict of interest issues surrounding Todd Wackerman's potential candidacy for Orleans Parish School Board. |
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Todd Wackerman is currently the salaried Director of STEM Library Lab ("STEM"), a nonprofit that works with public charter schools in Orleans Parish and neighboring parishes. STEM offers a membership to local schools to STEM's equipment lending co-op. Currently, 24 charter schools and charter management organizations in Orleans Parish have a paid membership subscription to STEM's co-op. Orleans Parish does not provide any direct funding to STEM, which relies on paid memberships from subscribing schools and non-public third-party grants and donations.
The Orleans Parish School Board (the "School Board") does not have any input into whether schools choose to pay for membership to STEM and does not otherwise regulate STEM in any capacity. Mr. Wackerman does not own a controlling interest in STEM.
The School Board does, under La. R.S. 17:3982 and the Charter School Accountablity Framework (the "CSAF"), control and oversee the authorization, extension and renewal of charter schools in Orleans Parish.
Mr. Wackerman is currently interested in running for a position on the School Board.
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La. R.S. 42:1111C(2)(d) provides that no public servant and no legal entity in which the public servant exercises control or owns an interest in excess of twenty-five percent, shall receive any thing of economic value for or in consideration of services rendered, or to be rendered, to or for any person during his public service unless such services are: (d) Neither performed for nor compensated by any person or from any officer, director, agent, or employee of such person, if such public servant knows or reasonably should know that such person has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the public servant's agency.
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Issue proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Charles Reeves |
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