Board Policy

BP 1240

Community Relations

Volunteer Assistance

The Board of Education encourages parents/guardians and other members of the community to share their time, knowledge and abilities with our students. Community volunteers in our schools enrich the educational program and strengthen our schools' relationships with homes, businesses, public agencies and private institutions. The presence of volunteers in the classroom and on school grounds also enhances supervision of students and contributes to school safety.

The Superintendent or designee may authorize the use of volunteers and shall establish procedures to protect the safety of students and adults in accordance with laws related to tuberculosis testing, fingerprinting and criminal records checks.

(cf. 4127/4227/4327 - Temporary Athletic Team Coaches)

Volunteers shall act in accordance with district policies, regulations and school rules. At his/her discretion, a staff member who supervises volunteers may ask any volunteer who violates school rules to leave the campus. Staff members also may confer with the principal or designee regarding any such volunteers. The Superintendent or designee shall be responsible for investigating and resolving complaints regarding volunteers.

(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)

(cf. 5144 - Discipline)

(cf. 6144 - Controversial Issues)

Volunteer maintenance work shall be limited to those projects which do not replace the normal maintenance duties of classified staff. The Board nevertheless encourages volunteers to work on short-term projects to the extent that they enhance the classroom or school, meet a specific need, comply with established building and safety codes, do not significantly increase maintenance workloads and comply with employee commitments and contracts.

Volunteer aides shall not be used to assist certificated staff in performing teaching or administrative responsibilities in place of regularly authorized classified employees who have been laid off. (Education Code 35021)

The Board encourages principals to develop a means for recognizing the contributions of each school's volunteers.

Legal Reference:

EDUCATION CODE

35021 Volunteer aides

35021.1 Automated records check

44010 Sex offense; definition

44227.5 Classroom participation by college methodology faculty

44814 Duty-free lunch periods

44815 Noncertificated supervision

45125 Fingerprinting requirements

45340-45349 Instructional aide act, especially:

45344.5 Instructional aide; proficiency in basic skills

45347 Instructional aides as classified employees

45349 Volunteersb

45360-45367 Teacher aides

49406 Examination for tuberculosis

GOVERNMENT CODE

3100-3109 Oath or affirmation of allegiance

3543.5 Prohibited interference with employees' rights

96100-96114 Academic Volunteer and Mentor Service Act of 1992

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE

1596.871 Fingerprints of individuals in contact with child day care facility clients

LABOR CODE

3364.5 Persons performing voluntary services for school districts

PENAL CODE

290.4 Information re sex offenders

CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5

18168 Personnel duties with infants and toddlers

CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 22

101170 Criminal record clearance

COURT DECISIONS

Whisman Elementary School District, 15 Public Employee Reporter for California, 22043

ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS

62 Ops. Cal. Atty. Gen. 325 (1979)

Policy PALOS VERDES PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

adopted: December 11, 2000 Palos Verdes Estates, California