IICC - Volunteers
Policy IICC
Revised/Readopted: 2/26/18, 6/12/17 Adopted: 6/04/12 Orig. Code(s): KAA
The district expects and shall encourage families and community members to be active participants in our schools. They shall be welcomed, valued and connected to each other, to staff and to what students are learning and doing in class.
Every effort should be made to recruit and organize parent and community volunteer resources in a manner which will ensure maximum contribution to the welfare and educational growth of students, improvement of school programs and to increased school-community involvement and communication.
The safety of students is paramount. Volunteers shall operate under the direction of a staff member, within an open public space, and should be within sight or sound of a staff member while working with students. Volunteers must never be asked to supervise or manage a classroom.
All volunteers shall register in the district’s online volunteer management system which records the initial application, placement and hours of service. Any person authorized by the district for volunteer service will be required to undergo an Oregon criminal records background check prior to volunteering and then every two years thereafter.
The district reserves the right to place and remove volunteers from service in the district.
The district expects the establishment of associations to support volunteerism, (e.g., Community Partnership Teams, parent groups, booster clubs, parent-teacher organizations) in each of the district’s schools. The district urges the administrators and staff of the schools to support, encourage and participate in these programs.
Nonexempt employees[1] may be permitted to volunteer to perform services for the district provided the volunteer activities do not involve the same or similar type of services[2] as the employee’s regularly assigned duties. In the event a nonexempt employee volunteers to perform services for the district that are the same or similar as the employee’s regularly assigned duties, the Board recognizes that under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), overtime or compensatory time must be provided.[3
The superintendent or designee shall develop(no AR has been provided) procedures to implement this policy and provide guidelines for the management of the community volunteer programs), recruitment of and training of volunteers and the training of professional staff in the optimal utilization of volunteers.
ORS Chapter 243
ORS 326.607
ORS 332.107
OAR 839-020-0005
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. §§ 206-207 (2012).
GCDA/GDDA - Criminal Records Checks/Fingerprinting
KK - Visitors to District Facilities
[1]There are three types of FLSA exemptions: those for executive, administrative and professional employees. Generally, employees who are exempt under the executive, administrative or professional exceptions must primarily perform executive, administrative or professional duties at least 50 percent of the employee’s time.
[2]Instructional assistant duties are generally viewed to be the same type of service, supervising and instructing students, as coaching.
[3]Districts should review with legal counsel the use of non-exempt employees in extracurricular activity positions such as coaching and as advisers for cheerleading and other district-sponsored activities for FLSA district impact.
IICC-AR
Volunteers are an important part of ensuring student success in Beaverton. Every effort will be made to recruit and organize parent, guardians and community volunteers in a manner which will ensure maximum contribution to the educational growth of students, enrichment of school programs and to increased school-community involvement and communication.
Volunteering in the Beaverton School District is a privilege, not a right. Volunteers are there to complete a specific task or assignment. Volunteers are expected to adhere to the rules and guidelines set forth by the district. The district reserves the right to place and remove volunteers from service.
Sight or Sound Guideline
The safety of students is paramount. Volunteers shall operate under the direction of a staff member, within an open public space, and should be within sight or sound of a staff member while working with students. This applies to parents as well as non-parent volunteers. Volunteers must never be asked to supervise or manage a classroom.
District Online Volunteer Management System
Volunteer Services in the Communications & Community Involvement Department manages the district’s volunteer programs. All volunteers shall register in the district’s online volunteer management system which contains the initial application, volunteer profile, placement and tracking hours of service.
Interested volunteers may access the application from the district’s main webpage: www.beaverton.k12.or.us. All information on the volunteer application is sensitive and will be maintained in a secure and confidential manner. The Volunteer Management System is directly tied into the Criminal Records Background Check.
The district does not require a social security number in order to complete the application or subsequent criminal records background check.
School staff are responsible for ensuring that adult volunteers are approved and have been cleared to serve in our schools and facilities through the Volunteer Management System before volunteering.
School staff may not allow a non-custodial parent to visit with his/her child while volunteering in the classroom without the prior written consent of the custodial parent or a court order.
Criminal Records Background Checks
Any person who wishes to volunteer in the Beaverton School District will be required to undergo an Oregon criminal records background check prior to volunteering, and then every two years thereafter. They must also complete the volunteer application. Results from background checks are confidential. School staff and school volunteer coordinators have access to the database of cleared volunteer names only. Volunteer applicants should plan for up to two weeks for the background check to clear the system.
There are certain crimes and conduct that would preclude a volunteer from serving. Please see the
Convictions Rendering Ineligibility to Volunteer listed on page 5 of this regulation.
Volunteers helping with one-on-one student activities
Note: School staff must be present in the area at all times, managing the overall activity.
Volunteers participating in one-on-one activities such as mock interviews, in-school mentoring, veterans’ or senior citizen history gathering events will be required to complete a volunteer application and background check.
Classroom Guest Speaker (speaking to an entire classroom)
Note: School staff must be present at all times, managing the classroom.
Guest speakers from the community are a valuable resource for enriching district curricula. Guest speakers who are presenting information to an entire class will not be required to complete a volunteer application and criminal records background check.
- Information presented must be educational, not promotional.
- Presenters are prohibited from gathering personally identifying information from students. It is allowable for presenters to post their name, the name of the organization with which they are affiliated, and phone number, email address, or other contact information. This contact information should be given in a neutral way. It can remain posted throughout the presentation and shall be removed when the presentation is over.
- The information presented should be age appropriate and relevant to curriculum and classroom instruction. The information must be presented in a neutral and nondiscriminatory manner.
- District representatives have a responsibility for the vetting and the supervision (maintaining a presence) of guest speakers and outside presenters. Building administrators have the authority to cancel or stop presentations deemed to be inappropriate.
Visitors (see also Board Policy KK)
Note: School staff must be present in the classroom or area at all times managing the activities.
The District believes the involvement of parents and community member is vital to the development of a better understanding of the District’s educational programs. Visits to schools should be arranged and permitted within consideration for the requirements of the educational program and the orderly administration of the school and classroom. Visitors are expected to follow all rules for visitors
established by the schools and Board Policy to assure that visitations do not disrupt the educational program.
Visitors are individuals whose participation is not ongoing or frequent. Examples include visitors who come to school for a special event or performance or a grandparent who is in town who wishes to have lunch with their grandchild in the cafeteria. In these and similar instances, a volunteer application
and background check is not required.
At the discretion of the principal, a visitor may be required to complete a background check prior to coming on campus, if the frequency of visits becomes frequent and ongoing. The background check process could take up to two weeks to complete.
Youth Volunteers
Student volunteers under the age of 18 years old, who do ongoing, sustained volunteer service at a location other than their school, must complete the online Youth Application that includes a Juvenile Offender Records Check through the Public Safety Office. Students 18 - 21 years old should be checked on the Juvenile Offender List and should complete the adult volunteer Criminal Background Check form.
For student volunteers who wish to do a one-time volunteer event, the school administration should check the Juvenile Offender List. Principals, Assistant Principals and counselors have access to this list.
District Employees Who Volunteer in Beaverton Schools
Employees who wish to volunteer in Beaverton schools must complete a Volunteer Application through the online Volunteer Management System. This enables the school and district to track the whereabouts of volunteers and hours of service. If an employee currently has children in Beaverton schools, the volunteer should complete the parent volunteer application. If the employee does not have children in Beaverton schools, they should complete the community volunteer application. The background check that was done through the Human Resources hiring process will apply when employees wish to volunteer in schools. If an employee resigns or retires, a new background check will be required in order to continue to volunteer. Employees when volunteering will follow all the same procedures as all other volunteers such as signing in/out of the location, follow fire drills and evacuations.
Identification While Volunteering
In an effort to increase safety and security, all volunteers are required to wear a school-approved nametag at all times when in the building. Volunteers not wearing proper identification should be directed to the school office.
Sign In and Sign Out of Location
For safety and liability consideration, volunteers are expected to sign in and out of the building using the Volunteer Management System. It allows staff to track who is in the building and who participated in specific activities. There is a computer to log into the Volunteer Management System in the school office. Volunteer hours and activities are reported to the Beaverton School Board annually as part of the Strategic Plan.
Siblings
Volunteers are not allowed to bring younger siblings and babies to school when they are scheduled to volunteer. It is a safety issue. It is distracting in the classroom and other areas and causes disruption when there are additional children in a classroom or other learning space.
Confidentiality
Volunteers must protect teachers’ and students’ right to privacy. A volunteer may not disclose sensitive school or personal matters which have come to their attention. They should discuss student concerns only with the teacher, staff member or the principal with whom they are volunteering.
Professionalism
Although the job is voluntary, the commitment is professional. Volunteers are there to complete a specific task or assignment. Volunteers are expected to support and maintain an environment conducive to student success. Volunteers should become familiar with and follow all school and classroom policies and practices, including building evacuation, fire drills, etc.
Dependability and Punctuality
Students, teachers and staff members rely on the services performed by volunteers. Volunteers should contact the school if they are unable to volunteer on their scheduled day.
Child Abuse
Volunteers should report suspected incidents of child abuse. This can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. See the school principal immediately to make a report.
END OF ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION