Russellville Independent Schools

Volunteer Handbook

Table of Contents

Superintendent’s Letter ……………………………………………………………………2

Contact Information………………………………………………………………………..3

Goals of the Program ………………………………………………………………………4

Checklist for Consistent Volunteering…………………………………………………….5

Checklist for Single Events Volunteering…………………………………………………5

Guidelines for Volunteering………………………………………………………………..6

Responsibilities of Program Members…………………………………………………….7

Background Check Policy…………………………………………………………………8

KRS Chapter 11 Section 1………………………………………………………………...10

District Volunteer Application……………………………………………………………11

Volunteer’s Comments and Notes………………………………………………………...12

Russellville Independent Schools

355 South Summer Street

Russellville, Kentucky 42276

Phone:  270-726-8405

Fax:   270-726-4036

Kyle Estes, Superintendent

Dear Volunteer,

Thank you for taking the important step in assisting Russellville Independent Schools educate and support our students and community.  

“At Russellville Independent Schools, we are committed to ensuring that every Panther is equipped socially, emotionally, and academically on their journey to becoming an effective communicator, productive collaborator, innovative problem-solver, and compassionate citizen - wherever life takes them!”

An important part of any educational experience is collaboration.  I want to thank you for being our collaborator in the educational process. 

Sincerely,

Kyle Estes,        

Superintendent

Russellville Independent Schools

As required by law, the Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity), genetic information, disability, or limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions in its programs and activities and provides equal access to its facilities to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

Russellville Independent Schools

Contact Information

District

Kyle Estes, Superintendent

Russellville Independent Schools

355 South Summer Street

Russellville, KY 42276

Phone: (270) 726-8405

Russellville Preschool Academy (Gr. PreK-K)

1000 North Main Street

Russellville, KY  42276

Phone: (270) 726-3927

Contact:  Carol Kees, Family Resource Center Coordinator      

R.E. Stevenson Elementary (Gr. 1-5)

1000 North Main Street

Russellville, KY  42276

Phone: (270) 726-8425

Contact:  Carol Kees, Family Resource Center Coordinator      

Russellville Middle School (Gr. 6-8)

1101 West Ninth Street

Russellville, KY 42276

Phone: (270) 726-8428

Contact:  Debbie Browder, Youth Service Center Coordinator

Russellville High School (Gr. 9-12)

1101 West Ninth Street

Russellville, KY 42276

Phone: (270) 726-8421

Contact:  Debbie Browder, Youth Service Center Coordinator

Goals of the Volunteer Program

The goal of Russellville Independent School District’s Volunteer Program is to enable citizens from the community to assist administrators, teachers, and other school personnel in helping young people fully develop their skills and potential as individuals. Trained, supervised volunteers assist school personnel to:  

• Help teachers and other professional staff provide effective reinforcement activities, enrich the curriculum, and perform other tasks; and
• Strengthen school-community relations by increasing opportunities for communication, learning about school programs, and sharing time and talents with the school.

Guidelines for Volunteers

Supervision

For the safety and protection of our students, all volunteers must conduct their work under the direct supervision of a Russellville Independent School District employee who is supervising those students.

Confidentiality

As you work with staff and students, information of a confidential matter may be shared with you.  Students’ problems, abilities, relationships, or confidences should never be discussed with anyone.  Teachers and volunteers are bound by a code of ethics to keep confidential matters within the school.  Staff and students need to know they can trust you.  Please do not discuss a child’s school progress or difficulties with his or her parents.  This is the teacher’s responsibility.  Occasionally, a child may confide in you about family matters or personal problems.  Keep this confidential unless you feel the student’s teacher or school counselor should have this information.  Discuss any matters privately with the appropriate staff.  If the child shares with you any type of abuse, you are bound by law to share that information.  First you must contact the principal and/or guidance counselor and then, with their assistance, contact the proper authorities.

School Rules

Become familiar with the rules and policies of the school where you work.  Ask your school volunteer coordinator or school principal to explain procedures for fire drills or any emergency.

Things to Avoid

The staff at the school is responsible for everything that goes on in your building. Volunteers supplement and support the system.  

Volunteers do not:

• Provide curriculum or teaching plans
• Discipline students
• Have access to materials in students’ permanent records
• Evaluate achievement
• Counsel students
• Interact with students unless there is a district or school employee present who is supervising those students.

Sign In and Out

Each volunteer must sign in and out, to help ensure a safe school environment and for record-keeping purposes.  Please wear the nametag made available to you whenever you are volunteering in the school.

Dress Code

Volunteers should always dress appropriately for classroom or project activities.  Remember you are a role model for our students.  School specific dress code will be reviewed at the school’s volunteer orientation.

Responsibilities of Volunteer Program Members

The Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools

• Supports the concept of community involvement in schools, particularly of parents.
• Conducts and shares background check records with appropriate school personnel.  

The Principal

• Implements the District’s volunteer policies.  
• Assesses the school’s needs.
• Assigns, schedules, and re-assigns volunteers as determined necessary and in conjunction with staff and volunteers.

The School Volunteer Coordinator

• Orients school personnel to the goals of the program.
• Coordinates the overall school volunteer program so that each participating school is aware of the services volunteers can provide in helping to educate the students.
• Attends to administrative and clerical details such as letters, manuals, and paperwork for their particular school.
• Publicizes the program to the community.
• Serves as a resource to the principal, staff, teachers, and volunteers.
• Provides materials for recruitment and recognition.
• Acts as the school volunteers’ voice in matters that affect volunteers.
• Recruits volunteers.
• Works with the staff on how to utilize volunteers.
• Assists in assigning volunteers to various tasks.
• Develops a positive relationship between volunteers and faculty.
• Meets with volunteers.
• Assists in recognition activities at school.
• Meets with individual students and volunteers to assess progress and the program.

The Consistent Volunteer:

• Completes required online SafeSchools training and attends a volunteer orientation if needed.
• Follows all school and volunteer program rules and guidelines.
• Wears volunteer identification.
• Signs in and out at every session.
• Is regular and punctual in attendance.
• Maintains an appropriate appearance.
• Accepts direction and supervision from school staff.
• Maintains confidentiality about anything they see or hear.
• Asks questions about anything not understood and provides feedback.

Background Check Policy - Volunteers

Written Application

An adult who wishes to volunteer at a school or school-sponsored activity where he/she will have: (1) contact with students on a regularly scheduled or continuing basis; or (2) supervisory responsibility for children at a school site or on a school-sponsored trip, shall complete a background check application form, which will be used for the state-mandated background records check. Applications may be obtained and returned to the school contact person.  {School employees wishing to volunteer or attend field trips with their child (ren) need to refer first to their employee background check policy}

Processing

1. The volunteer’s required information will be submitted to the Administrative Office of the Courts by district personnel.  
2. After receipt of the processed records check from AOC, the District shall review the information provided based upon the following criteria:

Applicants with the following convictions shall not be authorized to volunteer:

• All sex-related offense convictions
• All offense convictions against minors
•  All felony offense convictions against persons or property
•  All alcohol violation convictions within two (2) years from date of check
• All drug-related offense convictions within four (4) years from date of check
• All deadly weapon-related offense convictions
• All violence (not identified above), theft related issues, or any questionable convictions shall be automatically reviewed by appropriate personnel.  *Please note this may delay approval timeline listed below.

3.        The principal shall notify the volunteer applicant in writing if he/she is not approved.          Approval/non-approval status shall be determined within a period of one month from         date of application.

4. Notification of volunteer status for each volunteer shall be made available to all principals.  A current list of all volunteers shall be maintained by the school volunteer contacts.
5. An applicant who has questions regarding the status determination may contact the principal for clarification.

District’s Background Check Review Committee

The Superintendent shall appoint a committee of a minimum of three (3) school personnel to review the processed background checks from AOC.

Applicability

• Volunteer status is approved or disapproved for the entire District, not an individual school.  Potential volunteers need only submit one (1) application, even if they intend to volunteer at more than one (1) school or school-sponsored activity.
• A background check application must be resubmitted and status reviewed every school year.  
• The Russellville Independent Board of Education reserves the right to resubmit background checks to the AOC on questionable applicants as deemed necessary by the District Review Committee.

Appeal

An applicant who has been denied volunteer status may submit a written appeal of the decision to the Superintendent. The Superintendent and District Background Check Review Committee shall review and respond in a timely manner.

An ACT Relating to Public School Volunteers

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

SECTION 1.  A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 11 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:

1. As used in this section, “volunteers” mean adults who assist teachers, administrators, or other staff in public school classrooms, schools, or school district programs, and who do not receive compensation for their work.

2. Local school districts may utilize adult volunteers in supplementary instructional and non-instructional activities with pupils under the direction and supervision of the professional administrative and teaching staff.

3. Each board of education shall develop policies and procedures that encourage volunteers to assist in school or district programs.

4. Each local board of education shall develop and adopt a policy requiring a state criminal records check on all volunteers who have contact with students on a regularly scheduled or continuing basis, or who have supervisory responsibility for children at a school site or on school-sponsored trips.  The request for records may be from the Justice Cabinet or the Administrative Office of the Courts, or both, and shall include records of all available convictions as described in KRS 17.160(1).  Any request for a criminal records check of a volunteer under this subsection shall be on a form or through a process approved by the Justice Cabinet or the Administrative Office of the Courts.  If the cabinet or the Administrative Office of the Courts charges fees, the local board of education shall arrange to pay the cost which may be from local funds or donations from any source including volunteers.

5. The local board of education shall provide orientation materials to all volunteers who have contact with students on a regularly scheduled or continuing basis, including school policies, safety and emergency procedures, and other information deemed appropriate by the local board of education.

6. Volunteers who assist in the district on a scheduled or continuing basis shall be provided with the same liability insurance coverage as a district employee.

A Checklist for Multi-Event Volunteers

1. Complete application form.
2. Agree to all required federal and state background checks.
3. Complete training and orientation.
4. Select your interest area(s) from an approved list provided by the school.
5. Wear a name tag.
6. Sign-in and -out each time you volunteer

*Note: Those wishing to volunteer will complete online SafeSchools student safety trainings. After the Volunteer Training has been completed, they will attend a one-on-one training session with an appropriate school staff person, if deemed necessary.

A Checklist for Single-Event Volunteers

Single-event volunteers are those who volunteer for field trips, dances, school events, etc.

1. Complete Application Form
2. Agree to all required federal and state background checks.
3. Wear a name tag.

Russellville Independent Schools 

District Volunteer Application 

Name______________________________________________________________________________

                First                                Middle                                Last

Phone: Home _______________ Work _______________ Cell_______________

Address ________________________________________________________________

                Street                                                

         ________________________________________________________________

                City                                State                        Zip Code

Social Security #:  _______________________ Date of Birth:  ____________________

Email Address ________________________________________________________

Emergency Contact: ___________________________________________________________

                        Name                                                Phone Number

In which of the following volunteer opportunities are you interested?    

• Athletic Coach
• Academic Coach
• Mentor
• Volunteer
• Event/Fieldtrip Chaperone

Where are you interested in volunteering?

• Russellville Primary Academy  
• R.E. Stevenson Elementary
• Russellville Middle School
• Russellville High School  

I prefer to work with:  

• Boys
• Girls
• Doesn’t matter

Conditions of Commitment

As a volunteer:

• I will attend/complete any necessary trainings and workshops.
• I will submit to a background check* and may be asked to pay any necessary fees.
• I realize that if given any information that involves safety of an individual, it must be shared with immediate supervisor.
• I will abide by all school rules and Board of Education regulations and policies that apply to me.
• I will honor my commitment to volunteer as scheduled.
• I understand that if I share confidential information, I may be released from my volunteer position.
• I understand that the school principal has the responsibility to assign, schedule, re-assign, or dismiss volunteers as needed.

Signature__________________________________________________Date_______________________

All information given on this form will remain confidential.  Completion of this form does not commit you or the sponsoring organization to a volunteer position.  

*Background check form for Russellville Independent Schools to be completed by individuals wishing to volunteer, attend field trips, chaperone in school events or as an employee follow-up check.