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Policies

Policy 2.53 - Volunteers in Public Schools

  1. Purpose. The purpose of this policy is to promote and encourage school volunteers in order to enhance parental, community and civic involvement within schools while maintaining an adequate level of safety and security on the School District’s campuses, ancillary facilities, and during District approved field trips. This policy establishes the framework for volunteers serving in schools through the Palm Beach County Schools Volunteer Program known as VOLUNTEERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, hereafter referred to as VIPS, in conjunction with the Office of Communications and Engagement.
  2. Applicability and Scope.
    1. This policy applies to all volunteers and prospective volunteers in Palm Beach County District Schools.
    2. This policy shall not apply to a person who visits a school for a one-time special event, such as guest speakers, celebrity readers, attending student performances, parents or family members who have lunch with their own child, career day special guests, and attendance at parent conferences. These people are considered school visitors. They must sign in as visitors in the school’s main office and school staff should provide them with appropriate direction. Under no circumstances may visitors or volunteers be left alone with students except as provided for chaperones, as addressed in Policy 2.40.
  3. Policy. The School Board believes that the use of volunteers in schools of the District enhances the educational process for students and promotes community involvement in education. The School Board of Palm Beach County encourages volunteer participation by individuals and groups in school sponsored programs in District schools, in District and area offices, and for school sponsored and supervised off-school campus activities before, during, and after regular school hours.
    1. A volunteer is a non-paid person functioning under the sponsorship of the Palm Beach County School District.
    2. The School Board of Palm Beach County authorizes the Superintendent or his/her designee to approve volunteers to assist in organized school programs following the submission of an application, completion of a background check as provided herein, and upon successful completion of a volunteer orientation and training program in accordance with State Board of Education Rules and Laws of the State of Florida.
  4. Enrollment Procedures for Volunteers. Prospective volunteers must complete the VIPS registration form on the VIPS computer located on every school campus.
  5. Status of Volunteers. Volunteers may be used to assist District personnel in schools and District programs. However, the instructional personnel retains responsibility for supervising, diagnosing, prescribing, instructing and evaluating students.
    1. The acceptance and utilization of the services of any person on a voluntary basis shall be at the discretion of the School District, and the utilization of such services may be discontinued by the School District at any time.
    2. In the event of any emergency situation, the School District, at its discretion, may temporarily discontinue such services until said emergency is rectified.
    3. Volunteers shall not engage in political, religious, or illegal activities while on District property or while performing District duties.
  6. Criminal Background Investigation.

To protect the safety and welfare of students and staff, School Board Policy 2.53-Volunteers in Public Schools requires that prospective volunteers must submit to a background check screening, which is mandated by Section 943.04351, Florida Statutes.  The District fulfills this obligation by requiring that School District Police provide each school with equipment that consists of software, a driver license scanner, and a visitor badge printer to be installed on a computer at each school.  Each school is required to provide a computer to meet this requirement, which is referred to as the Raptor Visitor Management System, and that computer must be functioning and located at the main entrance reception desk at each site.  The Raptor Visitor Management System must be used for background clearance checks for all volunteers.   

  1. Responsibility.
    1. The principal of each school is responsible for facilitating the background checks on volunteers by using the Raptor Visitor Management System for screening a volunteer with their government issued photo identification.
    1. School Police is responsible for checking annually to ensure that the Raptor Visitor Management System is functioning properly.  If there is a problem with the equipment during the school year, the School’s ITSA or STST should submit an e-support ticket to the Division of Information Technology Department to resolve the issue.
    2. Principals and administrators are responsible for ensuring that background check procedures are fulfilled on their campuses by overseeing who is screened by scanning their government issued identification into the Raptor Visitor Management System.
    3. Principals and administrators are to appoint a Volunteer Coordinator at their school.
    4. Principals and administrators are responsible for coordination and supervision of volunteers.
    5. Principals and administrators are responsible for identifying appropriate tasks for volunteers.
    6. Principals and administrators are responsible for ensuring that Volunteer Coordinators at each District operated school complete the annual mandatory Volunteer Training through the District’s eLearning Management (eLM) System. 
    7. Volunteer Coordinators at each District operated school are responsible for providing orientation and training to prospective school volunteers and informing school staff of the volunteer guidelines and current best practices as laid out in the District’s eLM System.
    8. The Superintendent shall issue directives concerning school volunteers included, but not limited to, more stringent guidelines for screening as deemed necessary.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Fla. Stat. §§ 120.81 (1) a; 1001.32 (2); 1001.41, 1001.42

LAWS IMPLEMENTED:

Fla. Stat. §§ 110.504, 768.28, 1001.43, 1012.01, 440.02, 943.04351

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RULE:

Rule 6A-1.070 and 6A-1.0502

HISTORY:

4/23/86; 5/06/2009; 7/28/2021

 

 

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