Magic Pot of Jobs

One Arizona school district is taking steps to make sure its volunteers are qualified to work in an educational setting.

Higley Unified School District set guidelines last week for completing background checks on people who want to volunteer at school events.

The school district is starting a pilot program for volunteers, which will group people depending on the type of interaction they will have with students, according to an article by The Arizona Republic. In January 2009, school board members will evaluate the program and decipher how much it will cost the school district.

“The move aligns the district with other Arizona schools that check volunteers’ criminal backgrounds in court records and other public databases,” the article notes. “All volunteers, including parents who help in the classroom, will have to complete a form that includes current employment and criminal history. The district also could choose to conduct background checks or universal screens on parents who look after students on field trips without the supervision of certified staff members.”

The district plans on paying the bill for the background checks, which cost $25 to $60 per check. Coaches, volunteers who help with overnight field trips or any school activity without teacher oversight will have to complete a background check and fingerprint clearance.

In January 2009, parents will be asked to give feedback on the process and board members may define how long the background checks are valid. Another idea is to require parents to undergo a background checked when their children are in elementary school and again when their children move to high school.

Many institutions, such as schools and hospitals, require volunteers to undergo background checks, but there is no law requiring companies to perform background checks on volunteers. While a background check might make a volunteer feel as though their privacy is being invaded, it could save much hassle for those involved.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 10:01 am and is filed under Job Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.