San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Administrative Regulation 1240
Volunteer Assistance
This Administrative Regulation applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
Duties of Volunteers
The Superintendent or designee may assign volunteers to:
- Assist certificated personnel in the performance of their duties, including in the supervision of students and in the performance of instructional tasks which, in the judgment of the certificated personnel to which the volunteer is assigned, may be performed by a person not licensed as a classroom teacher. (Education Code 35021, 45343, 45344, 45349)
(cf. 4222 – Teacher Aides/Paraprofessionals)
(cf. 5148 – Child Care and Development)
(cf. 5148.2 – Before/After School Programs)
- Serve as nonteaching aides under the immediate supervision and direction of certificated personnel to perform noninstructional work which assists certificated personnel in the performance of teaching and administrative responsibilities. (Education Code 35021)
- Supervise students during lunch, breakfast, or other nutritional periods. (Education Code 35021, 44814, 44815)
- Work on short-term facilities projects pursuant to the section below entitled “Volunteer Facilities Projects.”
- Perform other duties in support of District or school operations as approved by the Superintendent or designee.
(cf. 6163.1 – Library Media Centers)
Volunteers shall not be authorized to assign grades to students, and shall not be used to assist certificated staff in performing teaching or administrative responsibilities in place of regularly authorized classified employees who have been laid off. (Education Code 35021, 45344)
(cf. 4217.3 – Layoff/Rehire)
Basic Skills Proficiency Requirement
Volunteers who supervise or provide instruction to students pursuant to Education Code 45349 shall submit evidence of basic skills proficiency to the Superintendent or designee. (Education Code 45344.5, 45349)
(cf. 4212 – Appointment and Conditions of Employment)
Criminal Background Check
Prior to assuming a volunteer position working with students in a district-sponsored student activity program, a volunteer shall obtain fingerprint clearance through the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation. At their discretion, the volunteer may choose to meet this requirement by obtaining an Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Student activity programs include, but are not limited to, scholastic programs, interscholastic programs, and extracurricular activities sponsored by the District or a school booster club, such as cheer team, drill team, dance team, and marching band. (Education Code 49024)
(cf. 4112.5/4212.5/4312.5 – Criminal Background Check)
(cf. 4127/4227/4327 – Temporary Athletic Team Coaches)
(cf. 6145 – Extracurricular and Cocurricular Activities)
The Superintendent or designee shall determine which volunteer positions in the District are subject to the above requirement. Volunteers can be fingerprinted by the San Francisco Education Fund pursuant to its memorandum of understanding with the District, provided the District receives the results of the Department of Justice background check.
The criminal background check requirement shall not apply to volunteer supervisors for breakfast, lunch, or other nutritional periods or to volunteer nonteaching aides under the immediate supervision and direction of certificated personnel pursuant to Education Code 35021, including parents/guardians volunteering in a classroom or on a field trip or community members providing noninstructional services. (Education Code 49024)
Pursuant to Board Policy 1240, Volunteer Assistance, a parent volunteering in their child’s classroom or on a field trip or a community member providing noninstructional services are exceptions to the criminal background check requirement.
Registered Sex Offenders
The Superintendent or designee may require all volunteers to disclose whether they are a registered sex offender and/or to provide the District with sufficient information in order to allow verification of this status on the Department of Justice’s Megan’s Law web site.
No person who is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Penal Code 290 may volunteer at a District school.
(cf. 3515.5 – Sex Offender Notification)
Tuberculosis Assessment/Examination
Upon initial volunteer assignment, a volunteer shall have on file with the school a certificate showing that he/she has submitted to a tuberculosis risk assessment and, if tuberculosis risk factors were identified, was examined and found to be free of infectious tuberculosis. (Education Code 49406)
(cf. 4112.4/4212.4/4312.4 – Health Examinations)
The Superintendent or designee may exempt from the tuberculosis risk assessment and/or examination those volunteers whose functions do not require frequent or prolonged contact with students. (Education Code 49406)
(cf. 3514 – Environmental Safety)
(cf. 3514.1 – Hazardous Substances)
(cf. 7140 – Architectural and Engineering Services)
Please note that compare references, or “cf”, refer to CSBA model policies and do not necessarily indicate that the San Francisco Unified School District has adopted the referenced policy.