We appreciate your interest in volunteering in Columbia Public Schools!
Columbia Public Schools believes community participation enriches our schools and fosters public's interest making strengthening the educational environment.
The safety and well-being of our students, staff and volunteers is our number one priority. Parents and community volunteers enhance the educational experience and we value everyone’s time and support. We welcome the involvement of parents and community members in our schools.
Missouri state law designates school volunteers into two categories - visitor or volunteer.
Volunteers are defined as visitors when they assist or are directly supervised by CPS employees at school. Visitors accompanied by a CPS employee DO NOT require a background check. Visitors are invited to the campus for a specific event/reason, sign-in and sign-out from the main school office through the visitor management system, and are under the direction of the principal. Visitors are neither alone with, nor supervising any students.
Volunteers fulfill a role that requires them to be alone with a CPS student. Typically, these individuals are serving as chaperones, mentors, or tutors. Volunteers are required to complete a fingerprint-level background check prior to receiving a volunteer assignment.
With the guidance of a teacher, school principal, or program coordinator, determine whether you'll be a visitor or a volunteer under the above definitions and complete the required application if you are entering our system as a volunteer.
When completing the background check application, it is very important that the information you enter on the application matches your government issued identification card including your full legal name. It is important that you provide a valid email address so you can be notified as to the status of your application and for future communication. If you are unable to provide an email address, you use the district’s email address. All information collected on the application will remain confidential and not be shared outside the volunteer program.
If you have any questions about the application or volunteering, please contact the district at volunteer@cpsk12.org. If you have questions about the fingerprinting background check process, please contact the district at cpshumanresources@cpsk12.org.
Thank you,
Columbia Public Schools