NORTHFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION FILE CODE: 1200
Northfield, New Jersey Monitored
Mandated
Policy X Other Reasons
SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS
The Northfield Board of Education encourages volunteers and/or residents of the community who are especially qualified because of training, experience, or personal characteristics to take an active part in school affairs. Such persons may be invited to act as advisers both as groups and individually in:
- Clarifying the general ideas and attitudes held by our residents regarding school;
- Determining the purposes of courses of study and special services to be provided for students; evaluating the extent to which these purposes are being achieved by present practices;
- Giving active assistance to the professional staff in the actual operation of classes and services where the Superintendent and staff deem such aid valuable;
- Offering suggestions on a specific problem or set of closely related problems about which the board must make a decision;
Volunteers carrying out prescribed functions under the supervision of designated professional staff members shall be covered by the board’s liability insurance policy.
- Volunteer Athletic coaches, extra-curricular activity assistants, contracted activity coordinators and volunteers who are sponsored through the District’s Community Education Program and engage in regular ongoing positions with regular contact with students shall complete a criminal background check and fingerprinting in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:6-71. The applicant shall bear the cost of the background checks and finger printing.
- Any person, or organization, independently using the Northfield Community School District’s facilities through the Use of Facilities process and who is not sponsored through the District is responsible for completing a criminal background check for all of their volunteers who engage in regular ongoing positions with regular contact with students. The Use of Facilities applicant shall bear the cost of the background checks.
Tuberculosis testing (Mantoux test) is required for volunteers working indoors with pupils for more than 20 hours per month.
The Superintendent with the principals shall supervise development of programs and procedures to enlist community participation in school events and deliberations. He/she shall keep on file information on all volunteers and documentation that requirements of law have been fulfilled.
The board, Superintendent, and the staff shall give substantial weight to the advice that they receive from individuals and community groups interested in the school, especially those individuals and groups that have been invited or created to advise them regarding selected problems. The board, Superintendent, and staff shall use their own best judgment in arriving at decisions.
The Superintendent shall report to the public annually on all aspects of community support of the educational program.
Volunteers are required to adhere to all school policies and procedures.
NJSBA Review/Update: August 2009; December 2010;
Adopted: October 24, 2011
Revised: December 2017
Key Words
Community Volunteers, Volunteers, Public Participation
Legal References: N.J.S.A. 18A:11-1 General mandatory powers and duties
N.J.S.A. 18A:54-20 Powers of board (county vocational schools)
N.J.A.C. 6A:32-12.1 Reporting requirements
Possible
Cross References: *1000/1010 Concepts and roles in community relations; goals and objectives
*1120 Board of education meetings
1210 Community organizations
*1220 Ad hoc advisory committees
*5020 Role of parents/guardians
*6162.4 Community resources
*Indicates policy is included in the Critical Policy Reference Manual.