Pasco schools adjust volunteer background check plan amid complaints

LAND O’LAKES — The Pasco County school district has revised its plan to charge people for background checks to volunteer, after facing complaints from residents who said they might stop offering their services.

Officials also have made district funds available to cover the costs for individuals who can’t afford the $41.25 fingerprinting, which includes crime database screenings over five years.

One thing the district will not do, though, is rescind the program, which took effect on July 1.

“We were running into the potential of having folks in our system as approved volunteers, but who were carrying disqualifying events,” assistant superintendent Kevin Shibley said Tuesday, after updating the school board on the changes.

“We knew we needed a system that had continuous monitoring,” Shibley said. “One-time, one-shot screening once a year was just not sufficient.”

School administrators received a memo in late June detailing the difference between volunteers, who must have a full background check, and visitors, who don’t require such an extensive review. It clarified that people who are not having unsupervised time with children, or handling money, would not be considered as volunteers.

That definition meant people who judge student competitions, sell cash-free concessions at sporting events or attend school activities would be classified as visitors. By contrast, field trip chaperones, classroom helpers, club sponsors and office assistants would be examples of those who must get the fingerprinting.

School board members said they had received several complaints that support of booster club efforts and community partnerships could dry up if everyone was required to go through the new process.

The revisions “addressed some of these things,” board member Colleen Beaudoin said. “Staff is trying to address the concerns as they come in.”

Principals also were advised they could use school advisory committee, Title I, district Assist Believe Care, PTA or other booster funds to pay for the fingerprinting of volunteers.

“We also encourage schools to be strategic when scheduling fee-based field trips, camps, or other activities. For example, if a field trip requires 10 volunteers in addition to district staff members, schools can include the fee for 10 volunteers when determining the cost per student for these fee-based activities,” human resources senior manager Ally Panatex wrote in the memo.

Board vice chairperson Alison Crumbley said such a move is critical.

Maintaining security is important, Crumbley said. Shibley noted that his office received plenty of support for the background checks as a way to ensure children are not exposed to people with criminal backgrounds.

At the same time, Crumbley added, “we don’t want to leave any (eligible) volunteers out. We don’t want them to feel like we don’t care about them.”

The district sent information explaining the program and the updates to potential volunteers on July 2. Shibley said more than 1,000 people had completed the process by Monday.

In past years, the district has had about 23,000 people sign up to volunteer, with about half actively participating.