Volunteer

We’d like to formally THANK YOU for your interest in volunteering with our District!

We appreciate all the support Volunteers lend to our school communities, and we look forward to partnering with you to provide an enriching and positive environment for our students.

Definition of Volunteer: An individual not employed by the school district who works on an occasional or regular basis in the school setting to assist the staff. A Volunteer works without compensation or economic benefits from the District.

There are 6 categories of Volunteers in our District. Depending on the level for which you hope to volunteer, there may be some restrictions on the roles you may serve in and/or you may be required to complete additional screenings.

1. Student Volunteer: A Volunteer under the age of 18 who is enrolled as a student within our District.
2. Level I Volunteer: A Volunteer whose work does not involve direct contact with school children (e.g. creating student directory, collecting order forms for a fundraising event, or performing other clerical or administrative tasks from home; preparing food items for school events/fundraisers; serving on an interview committee; etc.)
3. Level II Volunteer: A Volunteer who provides services within the school, on school district premises, or during school events, to assist within the classroom, library, main office, or other departments. Work involves direct contact with school children, under the supervision of the classroom teacher or other approved school professional (e.g. classroom parent, school dance chaperone, etc.)
4. Level III Volunteer: A Volunteer who provides direct services to students that involves extensive unsupervised contact with school children (e.g. chaperone, volunteer coach/advisor and student mentors, etc.)
5. Work Based Learning Mentors (WBL): A Volunteer who provides direct services to students that involves extensive unsupervised contact with school children either on campus or off, will be considered a Level III Volunteer. Any exceptions to this will be made by the Superintendent or their designee.
6. Co-op Mentors (Co-op): A Volunteer who provides direct services to students that involves extensive unsupervised contact with school children either on campus or off, will be considered a Level III Volunteer. Any exceptions to this will be made by the Superintendent or his/her designee.

SCREENING & BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENTS

The following requirements shall pertain to the screening of Volunteers. The school Principal, Department Director, or Superintendent has sole discretion whether to accept or deny specific individuals as Volunteers (subject to background checks as outlined), to limit a Volunteer's service with the District, and to make decisions related to the continuation of a Volunteer’s service. The decision of the Principal/Director/Superintendent on these matters is considered final. Said decision shall be subject to the rules outlined below:

1. Student Volunteer – A student under the age of 18 shall be permitted to serve as a Volunteer only in grades K-12 upon recommendation from a classroom teacher, advisor, coach, administrator, or other educational professional who has worked with said student. The teacher/individual responsible for coordinating the Volunteer’s assignment shall be responsible for obtaining the appropriate approvals prior to assigning the Student Volunteer.  

2.  Level I Volunteer – Since the work of a Level I Volunteer does not result in direct contact with school children, individuals may perform Level I Volunteer services without the need for a formal background check screening.  

3. Level II or Level III Volunteers & Work Based Learning and Co-op Mentors – Due to the level of direct contact with school children, the following screening processes shall be completed prior to the commencement of Level II and Level III Volunteers and WBL Mentors within the BUUSD:

• Volunteer Application – All Level II and Level III Volunteers and Mentors must complete a Volunteer Application Form first. Individuals may sign up for multiple schools within the BUUSD when applying. Each school has a designated Volunteer point person who this form can be requested from; please contact the school's front office in order to obtain this application (refer to contact information on the left).

• Vermont Criminal Records Check – After the applicant has returned their Volunteer Application to the Volunteer point person for that school, and it has been approved by the school building's Principal or Administrator, it is then forwarded to Human Resources at the District Central Office so that HR may then reach out to the applicant with information regarding the background check process and the appropriate forms.

• If a Volunteer goes over 1 year without volunteering since last having background checks run, they will need to have them run again.

Within 30 days of receiving the results of a record check, the individual shall have the right to appeal the findings to the Vermont Criminal Information Center (VCIC), Department of Public Safety, 103 South Main Street, Waterbury, Vermont, 05671-2101, 802-244-8727.