KFD School Volunteers

KFD 
School Volunteers 

School volunteers work under the school staff’s direction with the principal’s approval. 

School volunteers are bound by the policies, rules and regulations of the district, serve without financial compensation and are not covered by workers’ compensation. 

The purposes of the school volunteer program are:

• To increase the educational attainment of students;  
• To provide enrichment experiences beyond those that the school can provide;  
• To provide more effective utilization of teacher time and skills;  
• To give more individual attention to students who need it; and  
• To promote greater community involvement.  

General Principles

• Volunteers in education are at all times guided by the principles and policies of the district. 
• Volunteers are assigned to a school only upon the request of the teacher or principal. Volunteers serve only in an auxiliary capacity under the direction and supervision of certified school personnel.  
• A volunteer is not a substitute for a member of the school staff but does supply supplemental and supportive services.  
• A volunteer does not have access to confidential files and records.  
• Wherever possible, volunteers are assigned to the particular school where they wish to serve. 
• The relationship between volunteers and the school staff should be one of mutual respect and confidence.

The Effective Use of Volunteers 
The use of school volunteers is not new to the schools. School volunteers can play a vital role in education. They are an asset to the schools, for they represent those citizens who translate their concern for students into action. These volunteers are important because they help everyone: 

• The students - by providing opportunities for more individual attention under the direction of certified staff; by enriching curriculum by adding the experience of the volunteer’s special interests, hobbies and avocations; and by closing the “generation gap” by providing more opportunities for students and adults to exchange ideas, an important “two-way” fringe benefit.  
• The teachers - by relieving them of many necessary chores that take up time that could be used for  more important educational purposes;  
• The administrators - by assisting with office detail and parent communications; and 
• The community - by improving the adult-student ratio in the classroom; by helping students to better understand their community; by enlarging the worlds of both students and volunteers; and by providing communication between the school and the community through positive participation. 

Anyone can be a volunteer in education, as long as they are willing to give their time and talent to help as a member of the educational team. School volunteers must like people, want to help the school and have time to devote to the task.

All school volunteers work under the direction of the school staff and provide supportive services to them. Volunteers are not teachers; they assist teachers and will only be assigned to those staff members who request them. The volunteers will never replace the paid school staff, nor will their presence mean that fewer paid staff  members will be needed. 

Persons interested in volunteering time or services to the district should contact the building principal. School  volunteers serve in the school district without financial compensation, and are bound by the policies, rules and regulations of the school district. They are to be supervised by each building principal. 

Types of Volunteers 
Volunteers may be approved at three tiers or levels.  

• Tier I: Includes activities that do not involve direct responsibility for supervising students, and may  include things such as clerical work, resource speaker, fundraisers/activities, athletic concessions, room  parent, field day volunteer, school fair, etc.  

These volunteers are required to sign in/out at the school office or event. A sign-in/out log will be maintained at the respective building/event. Volunteers will be provided with a “Visitor” name badge.  

• Tier II: Includes regularly-scheduled volunteers who will have student contact under the direct  supervision and presence of USD 443 personnel. Volunteers must complete a volunteer application, which  will be maintained at the school sponsoring the event. Examples might include classroom aides, regularly  scheduled volunteer readers, etc.  
• Tier III: This includes volunteers who may be regularly or temporarily involved in supervising students, especially when staff supervision is not immediately present. This includes, but is not limited to regularly-scheduled tutors, overnight trip sponsors, volunteer coaches, mentors, or other regularly working in direct contact with students without the presence of USD 443 personnel.  

Tier III volunteers require a criminal records background check and district approval. (See the Authorization and Disclosure for Background Check Form). Tier III volunteers may not begin working with students until completion of the volunteer application and the background check.

Long-term Tier II and Tier III volunteers may be issued school district volunteer photo identification badges upon the request of the building principal.  

Volunteers who may transport students in district or personal vehicles are subject to an approved motor vehicle report. 

General Guidelines 
Tier I volunteers must sign in upon arrival at the event. A sign-in/out log will be maintained at the  respective building. These volunteers will be provided with a “Visitor” name badge. 

Principals will ensure that that the district’s visitor management system is properly implemented. During regular school hours when students are present, principals may restrict access to parents or guardians who are sex offenders. During regular school hours when students are present, principals will deny access to any other person who is a sex offender.

There should be another volunteer, school district employee, or parent in the area where you are working with students. If you are going to work one-on-one or in small groups away from the classroom, leave the door to the room open or stay in an open area. Make sure you are in plain sight. 

To protect your privacy, and that of students, do not ask for a student’s home address, phone number, email address, etc., or take their picture. Also, do not share your email address, home address or phone number with a student. 

Student/volunteer interactions are generally limited to the campus. Students are not allowed to meet with volunteers off school grounds, unless they are accompanied by their parent, or are connected to the volunteer through another agency (i.e. church, sports, etc.).

 Volunteers should use adult/staff restrooms only. Do not accompany a student into the restroom. Any information learned from staff about student, or from interacting with students, is confidential. Please remember this when discussing your volunteer work outside of the school. However, school volunteer are mandatory reporters in the event that child abuse is suspected. 

Policy Reference: EBAA

Policy Reference: IFC

Adoption Date: 06/06/2006, Revised: 07/07/2008; 03/08/2016; 10/11/2021