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Seattle Public Schools/Departments/Volunteer/Application for New Volunteers/Student Safety and Background Checks

Student Safety and Background Checks

Keeping Students Safe

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Every year over 20,000 family and community volunteers serve in SPS schools.

Please note: While all volunteers must be screened through the background check, a criminal history does not automatically disqualify an applicant from volunteering in the schools. However, if an applicant does not disclose all their past convictions, they will be ineligible to volunteer with SPS.

If you would like to know if your criminal records may affect your ability to volunteer with SPS, please review this flow chart used by schools to determine eligibility.

SPS Volunteers

SPS is committed to providing students with a safe educational environment. We are also required by law to complete a criminal background check for every SPS volunteer. SPS volunteer applicants must be screened using an approved criminal background check before beginning service.

An SPS volunteer is a person recruited by SPS and matched with a volunteer role supporting SPS personnel and SPS-sponsored activities. Volunteers are not paid by any source for their service.

A volunteer shall serve in such capacity without compensation or employee benefits of any type, except for worker’s compensation as provided for in the district’s self-insured program. Volunteers serve at the discretion of the school leader, program manager, or teacher and may be released from volunteering at any time. See Policy No. 5630.

SPS Remote Volunteers

Logistics & Safety

  • Remote volunteers can interact with SPS students via an SPS Microsoft Teams account only.
  • Volunteer sessions must be scheduled by the school’s designated remote volunteer program coordinator or teacher.
  • Volunteer email in invitations must match email in their volunteer application.
  • Volunteer must ensure no one else has the ability to join an online session with the student using their device.
  • Parent/guardian is included in session invitations to have the ability to pop in or observe sessions.
  • Each session with student(s) must be concluded by completing a session report provided by the teacher. 

Student Privacy & Confidentiality

  • Remember that all SPS volunteers, including remote volunteers, must keep student’s information confidential.
  • Do not discuss your students with friends, partner/spouse, etc.
  • Do not save photos of the sessions (screenshots) or record sessions on your personal device, do not keep student-identifiable documents or notes.
  • Do not exchange contact or social media information with the student.

Presentation & Environment

  • Be aware of your physical presentation on screen and your surroundings.
  • Dress appropriately as you would when volunteering in a school building.
  • Make sure your background is appropriate and not too distracting for the student.
  • If screen sharing educational materials, please ensure the student will not be exposed to any inappropriate or distracting content on your desktop.

Remote Volunteer FAQs

Are caretakers considered “remote volunteers”?

Caretakers play a vital role in helping students access and navigate online learning. If the caretaker only assists and interacts with their own student(s), they are not considered volunteers.

Why do I need to purchase a background check to tutor students remotely?

COVID and resulting school closures changed volunteer engagement pathways dramatically. One unexpected impact on our program was a much greater need for volunteers to complete the national-level background check required for supporting students without staff supervision.

In previous years, few volunteers needed a national background check because volunteers supported students in one classroom or library space with the teacher present and able to monitor interactions. Unfortunately, teacher supervision during online tutoring and in break-out rooms is not practical or possible.

Additionally, compared to volunteering in person, remote volunteering with students presents higher risks of exploitation, abuse, or exposure to explicit or violent materials. If the background check fee presents a financial hardship for you, you can:

  • contact the school’s PTSA and ask if they reimburse for background checks,
  • alternatively, you can ask the teacher if they can pair you with another Category A volunteer who will co-lead online activities with you so none of you are alone with students.

Non-SPS Volunteers Serving in SPS schools

SPS partners with many community-based organizations (CBOs) that provide services in our schools. Schools also rent their space for use by parent-teacher organizations and enrichment vendors.

Staff and volunteers supporting activities provided by these organizations are not SPS volunteers and cannot be screened using the SPS volunteer application process.

CBOs, PTAs, and vendors must use their own HR systems and are obligated to screen and train their staff and volunteers according to SPS requirements. They must also carry insurance coverage for organizations serving youth and children. If your student participates in activities provided by anyone other than SPS staff, please inquire with them directly about how they screen and train their staff and volunteers.

Background Check Types and Fees

When you fill out the volunteer application in the online volunteer portal, there is a section titled “Determining Your Background Check Type”. Your answers to the questions in that section will determine which background check you need.

State background check (free)

A state background check is required for all volunteer applicants. SPS uses Washington State Patrol’s database, WATCH, to run the background check. No action is needed on your end.

National background check ($21)

How to purchase a national background check

If it is determined that you need a national background check, you will receive an email from Sterling Volunteers after submitting (or saving) the online volunteer application. This email will include instructions for paying for the national background check. If you do not see an email from Sterling Volunteers in your inbox, please check your junk/spam box.

Former New York State Residents

If you resided in the State of New York in the past, there will be an additional $95 charge. If you are unable to pay the $95 charge, you will be able to cancel the order and consider the following alternative:

We have fingerprinting services available at the John Stanford Center. The cost for this service is approximately $60 and prior appointment is required. Results are available two weeks after the appointment. Please Contact Volunteer Services for instructions.

International background check ($31)

If you lived abroad in the past three (3) years and have a social security number, you will need to purchase a one-time international background check ($31 fee) instead of the national background check.

No social security number? Contact Volunteer Services

Note: International background checks can be substituted by a recent (last two years) U.S. Embassy-issued visa type J, F, H, green card, etc. Tourist visas do not qualify. To speed track your approval, use your visa passport page as your photo ID when completing the volunteer application in the online volunteer portal.

How to purchase an international background check
  1. Begin your online order
    • You may be prompted to enter a special code: ye427g5
  2. Use your current U.S. address in the web form (no addresses outside of U.S.)

Why is there a fee for background checks?

Unfortunately, Washington State Patrol’s database, WATCH, does not provide criminal records from other states. This means the following volunteer applicant examples below would pass the Washington State background check:

  • A man convicted of child abuse in Oregon applies to tutor SPS students at Cascade Elementary School.
  • Mom of a 4th grader volunteers as a field trip driver. Two years ago, she was convicted of a DUI in California.

Since the federal government does not provide schools with free screening tools, SPS selected an online vendor to offer affordable national and international background checks for volunteers.

Financial Assistance for Background Check Fees

Every parent or caretaker should have the opportunity to participate in their student’s education. Schools can cover background check fees for low-income families using PTA funds, levy performance funds, or Self-Help funds. Field trip-related background check fees can be covered through the field trip budget.

If the background check fee is causing you financial hardship, please contact your school’s volunteer program liaison and ask if they sponsor volunteer background checks. If so, please have them contact the Volunteer Services Program Administrator to set up a free background check for you.

How long will it take to receive background check results?

  • If your application only requires a state background check, your volunteer portal dashboard will show “Eligible” or “Pending” immediately.
    • Eligible means your background check came back clear automatically.
    • Pending requires the liaison to submit your results to the central office, which may take up to two weeks.
  • If you purchase a national or international background check, you will receive your results directly from Sterling Volunteers, usually within a few days.
  • If there are any records on your background check or your report shows possible duplicates (criminal records of other Washington State residents with similar names to yours), the school volunteer program liaison will process your background check manually. Expect an additional week for processing.

How often are volunteers screened for criminal records?

SPS is committed to providing students with a safe educational environment. This includes ensuring every volunteer and staff member completes an appropriate criminal background check. Background checks must be renewed every two years.

If you moved to Washington State less than three years ago but purchased the national background check two years ago, contact your volunteer program liaison so they can verify and approve your renewal without additional cost. 

Confidentiality

Volunteer background checks are confidential. As required by SPS Policy No. 5630, we consult the school leader in cases requiring a review

Thank you for helping us create a safe educational environment!