School board approves clearer volunteer tiers, requires chaperones to pass fingerprint screening

The Duval County School Board on Wednesday discussed and moved forward with changes to volunteer-screening policy aimed at separating lower-risk visitors from adults who may be alone with students and requiring higher-level screening for chaperones on trips.

The board agreed the revised policy classifies volunteers into two tiers: a Level 1 volunteer who "does not directly work with students" and will remain in the line of sight of district staff, and a Level 2 volunteer who "may work directly with children" and will undergo a more extensive background check including fingerprinting. "A chaperone is considered a Level 2, that would require fingerprinting," said Jackie Watkins, who walked the board through the proposed language.

Board members pressed staff on operational details: visible on-site identifiers (badges or other marks) tied to screening level, whether the identifiers should be uniform districtwide, how the rule will affect parents who traditionally chaperone field trips, and whether implementation can be delayed to avoid disrupting trips already planned this school year. Staff said the policy would include an expectation that "each type of visitor, volunteer, or chaperone at any level will have a visible identifier based on the specific clearance level," and that a systems-wide approach is preferred so a volunteer screened at one school will be recognized at another.

The revised wording also adds a clause allowing immediate suspension or revocation of volunteer privileges when a person is "known or alleged" to have violated specified conduct sections; the board instructed that text be added to section 9. Several board members noted the state law setting Level 2 requirements goes into effect in July and urged staff to recommend practical implementation steps to avoid abrupt loss of parent volunteers for near-term trips. One member proposed parents or PTAs consider a scholarship fund to pay the roughly $100 Level 2 screening fee when cost is a barrier.

Legal and liability considerations came up during discussion. Staff and board members repeatedly framed the policy choice as both a safety step and a legal-defense measure: if an incident occurs, a district without a Level 2 screening regime for chaperones could face questions from defense counsel about screening practices. A speaker in the meeting also summarized rising liability thresholds discussed in state legislation, noting current and proposed insurance-coverage figures discussed during the session (details not specified in policy text).

Outcome and next steps: the board reached consensus to: (1) add the word "chaperone" in parentheses where Level 2 volunteers are described; (2) add the revocation/suspension language for volunteers accused of violating the relevant conduct section; (3) require a visible identifier tied to clearance level; and (4) treat chaperones as Level 2 in policy 4.45. Staff was asked to return with implementation details, data on how many parents would need Level 2 clearance, options for districtwide identifiers, and possible funding or third-party-payment mechanisms for the screening fee.

Why this matters: the change formalizes a two-tier screening approach intended to reduce the risk of adults being alone with students on activities outside school buildings, while trying to preserve reasonable family access to school events. The board directed staff to balance legal risk, operational feasibility and family access before the policy is finalized.