COMMON POLICY FOR FRANKLIN CENTRAL SUPERVISORY UNION
ST. ALBANS CITY, ST. ALBANS TOWN, FAIRFIELD,
BELLOWS FREE ACADEMY UNION DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL #48,
AND NORTHWEST TECHNICAL CENTER

Code D7
(Mandatory)1

Volunteers and Work Study Students

Franklin Central Supervisory Union and its member districts recognize the valuable contributions made to the schools by volunteers and work study students. It further recognizes that appropriate supervision of volunteers and work study students will enhance their contributions as well as fulfill the responsibility that the school district has for the education and safety of its students.

Definitions

Volunteer: A volunteer is 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 monetary compensation.

Work Study Student/Intern: A work study student receives compensation for work performed at the school as part of a college work and high school experience program. For purposes of this policy, an intern, working without pay, will be considered as a work study student.

Student Teacher: A student working toward a teaching credential may be placed at a school as a student teacher. A document must be obtained from the college stating that a criminal record check has been completed.

The Superintendent/designee shall develop administrative rules and procedures to ensure that volunteers and work study students/interns are appropriately screened prior to entering into service in the school district, and that volunteers and work study students/interns do not have extended, unsupervised contact with students. The screening process utilized by the school district shall minimally include a name and birth date check with the Vermont Internet Sex Abuse Registry for any person being considered for service as a work study student. A person who is legally designated as a sex offender shall not be eligible to be a volunteer, work study student, or student teacher.2

1 A school board policy on the “supervision of volunteers and work study students” is required by 16 V.S.A. §260.
2 Section 7b of S.13, enacted in 2009 and effective on its date of passage, requires “…superintendents…and their contractors (to) check the names and date of birth of any work study students with the Vermont Internet sex offender registry prior to allowing work study students unsupervised contact with schoolchildren.” The law further provides that “(A) person who is on the Vermont Internet sex offender registry shall not be eligible to be a work study student.” See 16 V.S.A. §260 as amended by S.13 Section 7b. At the option of the school board, this prohibition could be extended to include volunteers as well as work study students.

Legal Reference(s):
16 V.S.A.§ 260 (supervision policy requirement)

 

  Fairfield Town City FCSU BFA
1st Reading: 03/16/09 03/11/09 03/12/09 9/16/09 03/10/09
2nd Reading: 06/08/09 06/10/09 06/11/09   08/04/09
3rd Reading: 08/17/09 08/12/09 07/09/09   09/01/09
Date Warned: 08/06/09 07/31/09 06/29/09 11/06/09 08/19/09
Date Adopted: 08/17/09 08/12/09 07/09/09 11/18/09 09/01/09

 

Volunteer and Work Study Students Procedures

Administrative Responsibilities

  1. Recruitment: The Principal/Tech Director/Designee is authorized to recruit and approve of the volunteers or work study students, and interns who work in the school. It is the Principal/Tech Director/Designee’s responsibility to be reasonably sure that the volunteer or work study student is a person of good character with the ability to make significant contributions to the school. Volunteers who may have unsupervised contact with students will be required to be fingerprinted. Student teachers and interns will be required to be fingerprinted. The Principal/Tech Director/Designee will require volunteers, work study students, and interns to complete information forms providing background information including, but not limited to, the dates, locations and dispositions of any convictions, including findings of guilt, pleas of guilty, or nolo contendere for criminal violations. A person who fails to provide full and accurate background information in response to the Principal/Tech Director/Designee’s request will not be permitted to work with students. If a volunteer, work study student, or intern has a criminal record, the Superintendent will decide if he/she will be permitted to work.
  2. Placement: Placement and replacement of volunteers, work study students, and interns will be made by the Principal/Tech Director or the Principal/Tech Director’s designee.
  3. Conditions of Work: Volunteers, work study students, and interns will be informed by the Principal/Tech Director/Designee of the extent to which school district insurance policies protect them from personal liability resulting from claims against them based on negligence or other injurious conduct while acting in a volunteer or work study capacity.
  4. Supervision: Volunteers, work study students, and interns who work directly with students will be under the immediate supervision of a licensed professional employee. Volunteers, work study students, and interns will not have unsupervised contact with students, except when that contact is of short duration and necessary in the context of activities planned by and under the direction of professional school staff or contractors employed by the school.

    No volunteer, work study student, or intern will have regularly scheduled unsupervised contact with students.

Responsibilities of Volunteers and Work Study Students

  • Volunteers, work study students, and interns are responsible for complying with school policies, rules, and regulations.