BOE Considers Background Checks for Volunteers

While all of members have complied with a , the body is now focusing on volunteers like assistant coaches and club advisors.

At Thursday's meeting at , BOE Policy Committee Chairwoman Fran Orthwein said the panel was considering changes to Policy 9180, which deals with regular school volunteers, and Policy 9181, which covers volunteer athletic and co-curricular assistants.

Orthwein posed the question her committee is trying to answer as it ponders altering existing district policy: "Should volunteers be required to have a criminal background check at Board of Education expense by statute?"

She asked former board President Anthony Mancuso for his definition of a "regular volunteer."

Mancuso offered that a volunteer working "a minimum of 10 hours a week in the presence of students should have a background check."

Orthwein said the cost of administering each background check runs around $80.

Board member Deborah Orme shared her stated concern that the checks might deter some parents from giving time to the schools.

"I don't want to see barriers established that would prevent them from interacting with their children in school," she said.

President Frank Calabria tried to reassure members that any move to impose a background check requirement is not designed to "put a cloud over parents."

The issue was not resolved. Orthwein said the Policy Committee needed to continue its work refining the proposed changes.