By providing your signature, you are agreeing to abide by the rules and regulations of the District Volunteer Program. One or more of the volunteer activities you have selected may require you to provide your personal information so we can perform a criminal background check.
All potential volunteers and chaperones must read the following information and complete the Volunteer Agreement and Waiver of Liability form for each school and for each school year that they request to volunteer.
Purpose/Goals of the Volunteer Program
The Board of Education encourages the use of volunteers to
1. Increase students’ educational attainment,
2. Provide enrichment experiences for students,
3. Increase the effective utilization of staff time and skills,
4. Give more individual attention to students, and
5. Promote greater community involvement.
Behavior Expectations
Volunteers are expected to behave in a positive manner that is supportive of the school culture. Permission to volunteer may be denied or revoked by administration 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, but are not limited to, the following: using inappropriate language; acting irresponsibly or unreliably; failing to follow the supervisor’s instructions; committing any criminal act on school grounds or at a school activity; interacting with students, staff, or other volunteers in an inappropriate or disrespectful manner; dressing in an unsuitable manner; or violating any school rule.
Safety Procedures
Each volunteer must register in the school’s main office at the beginning of each visit and must consistently wear an identification badge or tag issued by the school.
• All volunteers are expected to participate in emergency drills and have an understanding of the school’s crisis response procedures. During a drill or during an actual crisis, volunteers should follow their supervisor’s instructions; if volunteers are not in close proximity to their supervisor, they should report to the nearest classroom or office area.
• These are safety terms and general definitions/procedures utilized in all District 300 schools:
Shelter in Place......................................Take immediate shelter indoors and/or inside classroom or office; if/when possible, continue with regular duties until an “all clear” is announced
Lockdown Drill ..................................... Simulation or practice for a “Code Red Lockdown”
Code Red Lockdown............................. Take immediate shelter inside a safe, locked area; hide from view and keep quiet
• If volunteers are not with their own child or children at the time of the drill or event, they must remain with their supervisor. During a drill or crisis event, volunteers should not attempt to find their child or children without supervisory permission and conditions are safe to do so.
Background Checks
No person will be allowed to serve as a volunteer who is identified on the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender website or the Illinois Murderer and Violent Offender against Youth Registry website. The building principal or designee must check the Sex Offender website and the Illinois Youth Registry website for the names of ALL individuals who request to volunteer or chaperone.
School districts have the discretion to require name or fingerprint-based background checks. The Principal or administrative designee may request that 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. All requests for these types of background checks must be completed by Human Resources. If the criminal background check is requested, the Building Principal must forward form 6:250 AP1-E1 to Human Resources to complete the criminal background check.
Confidentiality
Volunteers serve in an auxiliary capacity under the direction and supervision of a certified staff member; they are not a substitute for a member of the school staff. Volunteers will not have access to confidential student school records. Volunteers must not discuss confidential information with friends, neighbors, or other parents. Confidential information includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:
• Scholastic and health records
• Test scores and grades
• Student behavior information
• Character traits of an individual child
• Special education or social-emotional information Additional Information
Before approving/denying the application, the school administrator may request to interview applicants. The school administrator may request that the potential volunteer provide references or request the individual to describe his or her previous experiences. In addition, the administrator may choose to include more specific guidelines or parameters for the potential volunteer. The building Principal or designee reserves the right to deny or revoke volunteer status if the administrator deems the volunteer’s presence or behavior may interfere with the general education process, climate, or culture of the school building.
All potential volunteers and chaperones are to complete the Volunteer Agreement and Waiver of Liability form each school year that they volunteer. All volunteers must be approved by the building Principal or administrative designee. Each volunteer is required to register in the school’s main office or designated area at the beginning of each visit and must wear a school or district-issued identification badge or tag at all times.
Waiver of Liability
The District does not provide individual liability insurance coverage to persons acting in an individual volunteer capacity. The purpose of this waiver is to provide notice to prospective volunteers that they do not have insurance coverage by the District and to document the volunteer’s acknowledgment that they are providing volunteer service at their own risk.
1. The volunteer’s signature below indicates that he or she acknowledges that the District does not provide insurance coverage for any loss, injuries, illness, or death resulting from the volunteer’s service to the District.
2. The volunteer’s signature below indicates that he or she agrees to assume all risk for loss, injury, illness, death or damage of any nature or kind, arising out of the volunteer’s supervised or unsupervised service to the District. The volunteer agrees to waive any and all claims against the District, its employees, Board Members, or agents for loss due to injury, illness, death or damage of any kind arising out of the volunteer’s service to the District.
Volunteer Agreement
The volunteer’s signature below indicates that he or she has read and agrees to abide by all guidelines, parameters, and expectations of the D300 Volunteer Program.
