Board approves MOU to let Redstone Federal Credit Union volunteers use district visitor badge process

The Madison County Board of Education approved a memorandum of understanding with Redstone Federal Credit Union to streamline volunteer access to district schools, the board decided at its meeting at Walnut Grove School.

District staff described the MOU as an outgrowth of the district’s volunteer background check program and said it permits Redstone volunteers who already have undergone Redstone’s vetting to be processed without repeating the district’s B Chex background verification. "That MOU guarantees three things," the presenter said: that Redstone volunteers have completed a background check, that Redstone will continue to provide support to local schools, and that volunteers will comply with the district’s Syntegix visitor system by scanning and wearing printed visitor badges while on campus.

Board discussion clarified that the MOU is intended to avoid redundant checks for recurring volunteers sent by Redstone and that volunteers must still follow the district’s visitor badge procedures. One board member said the board should not be limited to one employer and encouraged broader community participation; speakers referenced other local employers and parents as potential volunteer sources.

A motion to approve the adopt-a-school MOU with Redstone Federal Credit Union was made and seconded and passed by voice vote; the transcript does not show a numeric roll call.

District staff said the MOU is modeled on similar partnerships in the region and is intended to make it easier for vetted community members to volunteer while maintaining safety checks required by the district.