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Cheltenham committee clarifies TB screening applies only to overnight or 10+ hour volunteers
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Summary
A March 25 policy committee meeting clarified administrative regulations: TB testing will be required only for volunteers who provide direct services 10 or more hours per week or who serve overnight; administration will update web guidance and forms and the AR will be considered by the board on April 8.
The Cheltenham School District Policy Committee on March 25 heard public concern about a perceived requirement that all volunteers undergo tuberculosis screening and clarified that the proposed administrative regulation merely interprets state law. "TB tests are required by state regulations for any volunteers who provide 10 hours per week or more, or have interaction with kids 10 hours per week or more," an administration presenter told the committee.
Sarah Nutt, a Glenside resident and ICU nurse, told the committee she had asked the board in 2022 to reconsider TB screening for short‑term daytime volunteers and called the two‑step test a barrier to family involvement. "I would like to ask the board to reconsider and eventually remove the requirement that volunteers are required to undergo TB testing," she said, describing cost and needle‑related anxieties that deter parents from attending field trips and volunteer activities.
Assistant Superintendent Siobhan Sajovic said her office will update the volunteer web pages and the volunteer packet to match the AR and the forthcoming board policy, and is working to move some forms online to reduce the burden on families. Sajovic told the committee she requested the policy review after finding website documents more restrictive than state law.
The committee emphasized that the draft AR is intended to clarify existing law rather than create a new standard and noted that most parent volunteers will not meet the 10‑hour threshold. The AR and updated policy are scheduled for consideration by the full board at its April 8 meeting. Administration will remove inconsistent guidance from district web pages and revise forms to reflect the clarified requirements.
