Volunteer Orientation

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Volunteer Orientation

• District School Board of Pasco County
• Policies Procedures

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Three Types Volunteer, Visitor, Vendor

• Volunteer- a person who can volunteer repeatedly
  and often in all areas of school and with all
  students as agreed upon by school and volunteer.
  Can travel on buses with students off campus on
  field trips and/or athletic and special school
  sponsored activities. Has passed a state
  background and sexual predator and offender check
  EACH YEAR (July 1-June 30). A person who helps
  with an athletic team and/or event but does not
  get paid is a volunteer and should complete the
  volunteer approval process.

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Visitor

• Visitor- is either a parent who has not passed
  the background check and wants to spend time with
  their child or a person who intends to be in the
  school for a short, one time only event and will
  not be working directly with students such as an
  assembly speaker or the media. If the person is
  a parent, they are allowed to spend time with
  their own child only. They cannot be with other
  students or in parts of the school where other
  students congregate such as lunchroom, library,
  or athletic fields. They cannot travel on a bus
  with students going on field trips or to off
  campus events. They can travel in their own
  vehicle with their own child to such an event if
  they wish. They should be escorted by a school
  employee to and from their child while traveling
  on school grounds. Intended for special
  circumstances, like Head Start where parent
  involvement is mandated by law or a one time only
  event approved by the principal.

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Vendor

• Vendor- a person who receives money for their
  services from a source other than the DSBPC. In
  addition to completing the online volunteer
  application and passing a state background check
  and sexual predator and offender check annually
  (July 1-June 30) like regular volunteers, they
  must also be fingerprinted and pass a national
  background check. The person pays for this
  additional level of screening by making a check
  out to the DSBPC for 85. An example of a vendor
  is a volunteer coach who receives a stipend
  from a Booster Club.

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School Volunteer List

• School volunteer coordinators, assistant
  principals, and principals can access the
  schools list of approved volunteers.
• Check with school staff for status of volunteer
  applicants.
• The school list changes frequently as new
  volunteer applicants are processed.

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School Volunteer List cont.

• The school list will have Approved, On The
  List, or Do Not Use by each name.
• Approved means the person can be used
  immediately.
• Pending means the person cannot be used and a
  letter has been sent to the person requesting
  more information be mailed to the district
  explaining a charge(s) on the background check.
  This information is reviewed by the Professional
  Review Committee (PRC) to determine whether or
  not the person is approved. The person may not
  volunteer until approval is granted.
• Do Not Use means the person cannot volunteer in
  Pasco schools.

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Guidelines

• Volunteers must be approved by district before
  volunteering
• Volunteers must be supervised by an administrator
  or staff member
• Volunteers may not take a student off campus
  without staff approval

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Guidelines, contd

• Initial background checks and sexual predator
  checks are done before approval, every year
  thereafter (July 1-June 30)
• Volunteers checked against sexual predator
  database every time they are scanned through
  Raptor
• Volunteers should follow schools dress code and
  other policies and procedures

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Guidelines, contd

• Volunteers should not bring preschool age
  children to school with them
• Student confidentiality is MOST important,
  REMEMBER
• Volunteers should report suspected abuse to
  volunteer coordinator

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Recommendations

• Volunteering is supportive in nature
• Learn school procedures and policies, including
  emergency procedures
• Set up regular schedule with teachers or
  coordinator
• Learn rules of teacher for consistency

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Recommendations, contd

• If working with individual student, let
  teacher/coordinator know in advance
• Administration has final say on continued service

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Thank you for your dedication to Pasco County
Students and Staff!