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Mars Area School District

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Independent Volunteers

Independent Volunteers are defined as those who:

  1. Work under the general direction and supervision of any District employee; and,
  2. Provide direct services to students or may, from time to time, have or may be reasonably expected to have unsupervised contact with students.

Examples

  • Parents/guardians who volunteer at School-Affiliated Organization (SAO)-sponsored activities within school buildings
  • Library/Classroom Volunteers
  • PTO Building Volunteers
  • Individuals who help to manage, officiate and/or perform functions at an athletic event or extracurricular activity
  • Volunteer Tutors
  • Field Trip Chaperones
  • Volunteer who provide counseling and/or health-related services to students.

Requirements 

Anyone interested in serving as Independent Volunteers must:

1. Complete the a District Volunteer Application available below, at each school, or the District’s Administration Office).
2. Obtain the following clearances:

PA Child Abuse History Check (Act 151) — www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis
PA Criminal History Check (Act 34) — https://epatch.pa.gov/home
FBI Federal Criminal History Check (Act 114) — https://uenroll.identogo.com/
(To obtain the required service code, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services at 1-877-371-5422 or [email protected].)

Note: The cost of obtaining the required clearances is the responsibility of the volunteer. Act 34 and Act 151 clearances should be free for individuals serving as volunteers. The completed Volunteer Application and copies of all listed clearances must be submitted to Mars Area School Board for approval prior to volunteering. All non-student volunteers must be age 21 or older.

All clearances are only valid for five (5) years from the date listed on the clearance report, not the date that a volunteer submits his/her application to the District. Approved volunteers are required to resubmit valid clearances annually.

Questions regarding how to obtain clearances may be directed to Mrs. Kimberly Albaugh, HR Administrator, at (724) 625-1518, ext. 1512, or [email protected]. 

Board Approval

Mars Area School Board must approve all prospective Independent Volunteers before volunteering can begin. Once the Volunteer Application and copies of all clearances are submitted, all clearances will be verified and the names of those who have met all District requirements will be placed on the next available Board agenda for consideration by the Board.

Note: In order to be included on an upcoming Mars Area School Board meeting agenda for approval, prospective Independent Volunteers must submit are required paperwork to the District's Administration Office by no later than noon on the Wednesday before a Board meeting. (Mars Area School Board typically meets on the first and second Tuesday of each month. Please check the District calendar to verify upcoming Board meeting dates.)
Upon Board approval, Independent Volunteers will be placed on an “Approved Independent Volunteers List” that will be provided to the Building Principal. Only approved Independent Volunteers are permitted perform the duties of their position as outlined in District Policy 916 Volunteers or as prescribed by the Building Principal.