SERIES 1000 Community Relations

1212 School Volunteers/Securing and Screening Volunteers

The Board of Education recognizes that volunteers can make many valuable contributions to our schools. The Board endorses a program encouraging community residents to take an active role in improving schools and to become school volunteers in schools subject to suitable regulations and safeguards. Appropriate recognition of volunteer services shall be made by the Board and school district administration.

Annually, Principals shall submit a list of all regular volunteers in the district (chaperones on field trips, aides, library and classroom volunteer assistance, grandparents, assistance at athletic events, field days, etc.) to the Superintendent of Schools.

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes

10-4g Parent and community involvement in schools; model programs; school-based teams

10-235 Indemnification of teachers, board members, employees and certain volunteers and students in damage suits; expenses of litigation.

54-254 Registration of person who has committed a felony for a sexual purpose

Policy adopted: April 13, 2015 THOMASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Thomaston, Connecticut

1212(a)

Community Relations

School Volunteers

Securing and Screening Volunteers

The Building Principal or his/her designee directs the use of volunteers within the school. Specifically, the Principal or designee directs volunteer recruitment, screening, placement, and training within the following perimeters:

1. Qualifications. Volunteers may come from all backgrounds and all age groups. The main qualification for a volunteer is that he or she has a desire to give his or her time and talent in order to enrich student learning opportunities and the school community generally.

2. Persons Not Allowed to Serve as Volunteers. No person who is a “registered sex offender,” may serve as a volunteer. Every time a new notification/online posting of registered sex offenders is received, the Building Principal or his/her designee shall review it for any person's name who has submitted a volunteer information form during that school year. Whenever someone submits a new volunteer information form, the Building Principal or designee shall review the sex offender list. The Building Principal may request a volunteer submit to a criminal background investigation if the individual will be working over a long period of time in direct contact with students where no staff member is continuously present or in other situations where a check would be prudent.

3. Recruitment. School personnel may recruit volunteers through the following resources: parent(s)/guardians, parent organizations, retired teachers and other senior citizen groups, community businesses, local volunteer centers, and universities. If a staff member, other than the Principal, recruits a volunteer, the staff member must provide the volunteer's name and address to the Principal.

4. Role. Volunteers serve only in an auxiliary capacity under the direction and supervision of a staff member; they are not a substitute for a member of the school staff. Volunteers do not have access to confidential student school records.

5. Selection, Placement, and Supervision. Volunteer selection and placement shall be on the basis of the volunteer’s qualifications and availability and the school’s needs. A volunteer will be assigned to a staff member only with the staff member’s consent. The relationship between a volunteer and staff member should be one of mutual respect and confidence.

6. Screenings. Screening volunteers is critical because of the vulnerability of the population the school district serves. Each volunteer must register in the school's main office at the beginning of each visit and wear a name tag while in the building. Unless he or she has already done so during the current academic year, the volunteer must complete an information form and waiver. Absent an indication on the form that the volunteer may not qualify, e.g. the volunteer is a convicted felon, the volunteer may proceed to the assigned activity.

A request to volunteer or to continue volunteering will be denied if the volunteer behaves in any manner that demonstrates he or she is not a good role model or is otherwise detrimental to the school environment. Examples of such behavior include: swearing, failing to be dependable, failing to follow the supervisor's instructions, committing any criminal act on school grounds or at a school activity, touching a student in a rude or overly forceful manner, failing to dress in an appropriate manner, or violating any school rule.

7. Training. Each academic year, when a person first completes the volunteer registration form, the Principal or designee should give the person a copy of this administrative procedure along with other pertinent information. The staff member to whom the volunteer is assigned is responsible for explaining his or her expectations of the volunteer. The Principal or designee should arrange appropriate training opportunities for those volunteer activities requiring a skill or knowledge base, e.g., working in the computer lab.

Regulation approved: April 13, 2015 THOMASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Thomaston, Connecticut

1212

Form

THOMASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Thomaston, Connecticut

Volunteer Information Form and Waiver of Liability

Only one form needs to be completed by a volunteer each school year. Please print clearly in ink.

Information Form

Name:

Last First Middle Telephone

Address:

Street City Zip Code

Personal physician:                                Phone

Emergency adult contact:                       Phone

(if under age 18)

Are you now or have you ever been a school volunteer? (circle one) YES NO

At which school? Year? Name(s) of any child(ren) or wards:

 attending this school:

 attending school within the District:

Criminal Conviction Information

Does your name appear on any Sex Offender Database in any state or country? YES NO

Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted of a criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation? YES NO

If you answered YES, list all offenses

Offense(s): Date(s): Place(s):

If requested, are you willing to consent to a criminal background investigation?

Waiver of Liability

The School District does not provide liability insurance coverage to non-district personnel serving as volunteers for the School District. The purpose of this waiver is to provide notice to prospective volunteers that they do not have insurance coverage by the School District and to document the volunteer’s acknowledgment that they are providing volunteer service at their own risk. However,

C.G.S. 10-235 provides that the district must indemnify and hold harmless volunteers from civil liability in most situations as long as the volunteer is approved by the Board of Education to carry out a duty prescribed by the Board and performs services under the direction of a certified teacher. Therefore the district must pay any damages awarded to a plaintiff in an action brought alleging negligence or other act resulting in injury, including infringement of that person’s civil rights.

Waiver of Liability (continued) By your signature below:

1. You acknowledge that the School District does not provide insurance coverage for the volunteer for any loss, injuries, illness, or death resulting from the volunteer’s unpaid service to the School District.

2. You agree to assume all risk for death or any loss, injury, illness or damage of any nature or kind, arising out of the volunteer's supervised or unsupervised service to the School District. You agree to waive any and all claims against the School District, or its officers, Board Members, employees, agents or assigns, for loss due to death, injury, illness or damage of any kind arising out of the volunteer's supervised or unsupervised service to the School District.

Date: Signature of Volunteer:

Printed Name of Volunteer

******************************************************************************

For School Use Only

General description of assignment(s):

 supervising students as needed by a teacher

 supervising students during a regularly scheduled activity

 assisting with academic programs

 assisting at the resource center or main office

 other

Name of supervising staff member: “Sex offender list” checked by on (mandatory).

Is a criminal background check necessary (the individual will be working over a long period of time in direct contact with students where no staff member is continuously present or in other situations where a check would be prudent)? (to be answered by Principal)

If “yes,” and provided the individual authorized the check,

 the date on which the check was requested?

 the date on which it was received and reviewed.

Reviewed by: Signature                                          Date

Form approved: June 11, 2024 THOMASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Thomaston, Connecticut