Pinellas board approves updated whistleblower rules and consolidates volunteer policy, adds level‑two clearance requirement

The Pinellas County School Board on June 23 approved second‑reading amendments to its whistleblower policies and voted to repeal a mentoring volunteer policy as part of a restructuring that consolidates volunteer requirements into Policy 9180 and requires level‑two clearance for most volunteers.

The board approved the whistleblower updates 7–0 after Mrs. Ison, director of strategic planning and policy, said the amendments align the policies (1211, 3211, 4211) with current statutes and case law, remove references to contractors and designate the Office of Professional Standards as the appropriate office for filing retaliation complaints. "The amendment details were reviewed during the April School Board workshop and during first reading on May 19th," she said.

On volunteers, Mrs. Ison told the board the district recommends repealing Policy 3120.09 and incorporating its provisions into Policy 9180 to streamline requirements and reduce redundancy. She said the policy change includes a new practice that most volunteers will need level‑two clearance through the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse in the upcoming school year.

Board members pressed staff about the practical impact. Mrs. Hine said she was "concerned about a potential reduction in volunteers on our campuses because there are very clear time and cost barriers to obtaining the level two certification." Mrs. Hine urged the district to improve communication with school‑based staff and PTAs to make the clearance process easier and accessible.

Superintendent Hendrick and other board members responded that exceptions exist — for example, one‑time guest speakers or adults directly supervised by school principals — and that district partners and funding sources are available to offset fees where needed. Mrs. Blacksburg noted the Education Foundation has helped offset costs for volunteers in the past.

The board voted 7–0 to repeal the mentoring volunteer policy and to adopt the consolidated volunteer policy with the updated clearance requirement. The motion passed without recorded dissent.

Next steps given in the meeting record include continued school‑level outreach to facilitate fingerprinting events and staff follow‑up to clarify exceptions and funding options for volunteers.