Board readopts revised volunteer policy, shifts classroom ambassadors and one-day chaperones to Tier 1

Board members approved a revision to policy 4532 on school volunteers after staff explained the practical effects for parent volunteers. A staff presenter summarized the changes: policy tiers were collapsed from three to two, and Tier 1 will cover volunteers who complete a basic application and accept district expectations; Tier 2 will be for volunteers who undergo background checks, provide references and receive board approval.

The staff explanation said the change was driven by the volume of parent classroom ambassadors and the impracticality of requiring Tier-2 background checks for parents who regularly assist in classrooms under teacher supervision. The presenter said, "we have a number of parent volunteers and classroom ambassadors that are in the classrooms regularly with teacher supervision and to make them a tier 2 volunteer would probably be, not a great match and a bit cumbersome because we have over 100 parents in our school district throughout the year in the classroom." The policy revision also explicitly moves one-day field-trip chaperones into Tier 1 based on principals' recommended practice of limiting situations where volunteers are alone with students.

A motion "to readopt revised policy 45 32 school volunteers" was made (motion credited to Niall in the transcript) and approved by voice vote. The board recorded "Aye" to adopt the revised policy. The staff presenter said the policy had been a multi-year effort and reflected input from principals and parents.

The district will implement the revised volunteer tiers and continue to use Tier 2 for sports program volunteers and adult leaders of longer-running or unsupervised activities. The change is intended to balance safety protocols with practicality for frequent classroom volunteers.