About this role
Volunteers are valuable members of our District community. Before volunteering, individuals must complete a Criminal History Background Check. Background check forms are available at the District Office, in each school office, and under the Forms section of our website. Individuals may not begin volunteering until their background check has been completed and the results have been received. Please allow approximately 2–3 weeks for processing. Individuals who are not approved to volunteer will receive written notification. Volunteer Coaches: Anyone assisting with practices or games who is not compensated is considered a volunteer. Volunteer coaches must complete and pass a Criminal History Background Check before working with any team in any capacity. Harrisburg School District 7 Code: IICC Adopted: 5/11/98 Revised/Readopted: 12/12/11; 2/10/20 Volunteers Community members who voluntarily contribute their time and talents to the improvement and enrichment of the public schools' instructional and other programs are valuable assets. The Board encourages constructive participation of groups and individuals in the schools to perform appropriate tasks during and after school hours under the direction and supervision of professional personnel. Any person authorized by the district for volunteer service into a position having direct, unsupervised contact with students will be required to undergo an in-state criminal records check. Volunteers will not begin service until after the return of the criminal records check. A volunteer allowed to have direct, unsupervised contact with students, in a position identified by the district as requiring a fingerprint-based criminal records check, shall undergo a state and national criminal records check based on fingerprints. (See Board policy GCDA/GDDA – Criminal Records Checks and Fingerprinting and its accompanying administrative regulation.) A volunteer who knowingly makes a false statement, as determined by the district, on a district volunteer application form will be denied the ability to volunteer in the district. Any electronic communications with students by a volunteer for the district will be appropriate and only when directed by district administration. When communicating with students electronically regarding school-related matters, volunteers shall use district e-mail using mailing lists and/or other internet messaging to a group of students rather than individual students or as directed by district administration. Texting or electronically communicating with a student through contact information gained as a volunteer for the district is prohibited. Nonexempt employees1 may be permitted to volunteer to perform services for the district provided the volunteer activities do not involve the same or similar type of services (2) as the employee's regularly assigned duties. In the event a nonexempt employee volunteers to perform services for the district that are the same or similar as the employee's regularly assigned duties, the Board recognizes that under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), overtime or compensatory time must be provided(3). The administration is responsible for the recruitment, use, coordination and training of volunteers. These assignments will be carried out as directed or delegated by the superintendent. Volunteers serving in long term assignments, such as volunteer coaches, must be Board approved. Every effort should be made to use. 1 There are three types of FLSA exemptions: those for executive, administrative and professional employees. Generally, employees who are exempt under the executive, administrative or professional exceptions must primarily perform executive, administrative or professional duties at least 50 percent of the employee's time. 2 Instructional assistant duties are generally viewed to be the same type of service, supervising and instructing students, as coaching. 3 Districts should review with legal counsel the use of non-exempt employees in extracurricular activity positions such as coaching and as advisers for cheerleading and other district-sponsored activities for FLSA district impact. Volunteers – IICC 2-2 volunteer resources in a manner which will ensure maximum contribution to the welfare and educational growth of students. END OF POLICY Legal Reference(s): ORS Chapter 243 ORS 326.607 ORS 332.107 ORS 339.372 OAR 581-021-0510 – 021-0512 OAR 839-020-0005 Senate Bill 155 (2019) Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. §§ 206-207 (2012). Cross Reference(s): GCDA/GDDA - Criminal Records Checks and Fingerprinting