Recent updates to Missouri State Statute 168.133 regarding background check requirements for public school volunteers state that “the school district shall ensure a criminal background check is conducted for all screened volunteers, who shall complete the criminal background check prior to being left alone with a student.” The statute outlines that the process shall include a search of the following: FBI criminal history files; the Family Care Safety Registry; and Missouri Case.net.
In order to comply with this legislation, the district has updated our volunteer application process with new designations as outlined below.
Screened Volunteers- Those who assist the school on an uncompensated basis and who may be periodically left alone with students or have access to student records. These volunteers may assist in the school office or library; mentor or tutor students; coach or supervise student activities before or after school; or chaperone students on overnight trips.
Examples of Screened Volunteers include TREK and Lunch PALS volunteers.
Non-Screened Volunteers- Those who assist the school on an uncompensated basis who will be under constant supervision by school staff and are not left alone with students, nor will they have access to student records. Examples of Non-Screened volunteers are Snack Pack assembly teams, building volunteers, party helpers, daytime field trip attendees, copy assistants, PTO event volunteers, etc.
Visitors- Those who are not providing a service to the school or students, but may be on campus to interact with their own child(ren) or attend activities. Visitors may be required to provide a valid photo ID upon entry to the building and will be subject to school safety protocols and record-keeping.
For TREK and Lunch PALS volunteers, Bright Futures Joplin will pay the fees associated with their volunteer application and background checks. Other screened volunteers across the district (coaches, sponsors, chaperones, etc.) may be asked to pay their own fees. The costs of each search/registry are explained below, and are subject to change without warning as they are not governed by the district:
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FBI fingerprint search: $41.75
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FCSR registry: $15.25
Instructions on HOW TO REGISTER as a screened volunteer are available on our Background Check Registry Instructions page.
While the new legislation does require a different process and an increased fee, the District will receive ongoing updates on screened volunteers through the Rap Back program, so a criminal background check is no longer an annual requirement and the volunteer will only incur a one-time fee.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this new process together. We look forward to seeing you in Joplin Schools this year!