Board Policy 0106 - Volunteer Services

The Board of Education recognizes the necessity and value of successfully engaging community volunteers to provide time and general support that enriches the educational program in each of our schools and assist with individual student achievement. We are particularly interested in inviting parents, families and community members to engage in volunteer services in our schools.

To ensure student safety and community involvement through the recruitment and utilization of volunteers, the Board of Education is committed to:

1. Protecting the safety and well-being of students, staff and other volunteers in our schools by thoroughly screening, selecting and supervising volunteers at our schools.
2. Protecting the safety and well-being of students by training volunteers on the appropriate boundaries and relationships with students.
3. Protecting the safety and well-being of students, staff and other volunteers by thoroughly monitoring the activities of volunteers.
4. D Establishing effective two-way communication with the larger community, respecting the diversity and differing needs throughout the community as we solicit volunteers.
5. Developing strategies and programmatic structures to provide training and support for school staff and central office personnel to implement meaningful volunteer programs from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve.
6. Developing strategies and programmatic structures to train and empower volunteers to participate effectively.
7. Utilizing schools to connect students and families with community volunteer resources that provide educational enrichment and support.

Administrative Procedures

The Board of Education directs the Chief Executive Officer to develop and/or update administrative procedures for school volunteers consistent with this policy, including but not limited to:

1. Criminal background checks, child abuse clearance checks and fingerprinting requirements;
2. Reasons to find a former employee or current employee ineligible to serve as a volunteer, including a former employee who is coded or otherwise flagged as being barred from rehire, or a current employee who is under investigation and prohibited from having unsupervised access to children;
3. Clear parameters for a volunteer’s access to and interaction with students at school, including wearing proper identification at all times; working with children in plain view; prohibiting use of student restrooms; transporting students in personal vehicles and access to confidential student records.
4. The approval process for school leadership to follow in contacting the Division of Human Resources for accepting a volunteer who is a former employee;
5. Requiring all volunteers and leadership of Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) to undergo specific training on reporting suspected child abuse and neglect; and
6. Monitoring compliance of the requirements schools must follow for volunteers, including maintaining a log of all volunteers and a copy of the background check receipt for school records and auditing purposes

The Chief Executive Officer shall report to the Board annually on the results of these efforts.

See also: AP 4215 - Criminal History Checks, Employee Self-Reporting of Arrests, Criminal Charges, CPS Investigations and Findings and Incarceration; AP 4216.6 - Volunteer Services; AP 4217 - Parent, Family, and Community Involvement in Schools

 Policy Adopted as 4216.6 10/28/93

Policy Amended and Renumbered 106 2/25/00

Policy Amended and Renumbered 0106 5/12/03

Policy Amended 8/25/05

Policy Amended 4/29/10

Policy Amended 7/19/16

About This Policy

Updated July 19, 2016

Documents

• Board Policy 0106 - Volunteer Services.pdf