8130 - Volunteers

The Richland School District Board of Directors recognize the value of volunteers working in schools to extend the capacity of the teacher to individualize instruction. The Directors believe that the school should be a functioning arm of the community and the volunteer program emphasizes this close relationship. 

Definitions 

1. A visitor is defined as an individual who during school hours, with school district authorization, attends a student performance, observes a classroom, special event, festival, open house, back-to-school event, etc. A visitor may either be accompanied or unaccompanied by school district staff. Visitors who are not school employees must sign in and receive a visitor badge each time they visit. District employees must check in at the front desk each visit and wear their employee identification badge. Visitors may not perform volunteer services. Visitors must comply with Policy 4311 – School and Classroom Visitors. 

2. A guest is defined as an individual who, with school district approval, assists students, schools, and teachers on a non-regular basis or who individually observes a classroom or activity. A guest may also assist with educational programs or with special events on an occasional or infrequent basis. A guest who is not school employee must sign in and receive a visitor badge each time they visit a site. 

• Examples of a guest include: guest speakers, individuals who participate in the Read Across America Program, class parties, class projects, etc. 

3. A volunteer is defined as an individual who, with school district authorization, provides services for or on behalf of a school, schools, educational program(s) or student(s), on the premises of the district or at a school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off school property, who does not receive compensation. A volunteer may be a parent, District employee, family member or community member, who submits an annual application to the school principal or designee to participate. Also included in this definition are those who help on a one-time basis transporting or working with children without the direct oversight of certificated staff. A parent picking up their child from school or randomly observing or visiting their child's school is not considered a volunteer. 

Staff members will clearly explain the volunteer’s responsibility for supervising students in school and for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. On field trips, both students and volunteers are to be informed of the rules of student behavior and the means by which they are to be held accountable to those rules. 

The District recognizes the generosity and public benefits of volunteering. The volunteer services must be given freely and without coercion or pressure. Classified employees may not volunteer to perform the same type of services for the District that they are normally employed to perform. 

Volunteers shall serve under the jurisdiction of the building principal and shall be assigned to a particular teacher only with the permission of both the principal and the teacher. The classroom teacher shall be responsible for the direction and performance of the volunteer in working with students. 

All volunteers must submit a background check form annually. 

The voluntary help of citizens should be requested by staff through administrative channels for selected activities and as resource persons. 

Volunteers will: 

1. General job responsibilities and limitations; 
2. Information about school facilities, routines, and procedures; 
3. Volunteering schedule and location; and 
4. Expected relationship to the regular staff and with students. 

1. Program and/or duties completed; 
2. Resignation of the volunteer; 
3. Replacement by staff member; and 
4. Circumstances which in the judgment of the administration may necessitate asking the volunteer to terminate services, such as failure to follow the guidelines established in the volunteer handbook, failure to follow the directions given by the principal or supervising staff member, violation of board policies or procedures, violation of state or federal law, or the discovery of previously undisclosed criminal activity by the volunteer.