Washoe Country School District
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Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION:
What is a volunteer?
ANSWER:
A volunteer is anyone who repeatedly helps or volunteers at a school. This includes parents, grandparents, and anyone from the community. If someone is not a student nor a WCSD employee, she or he is classified as a volunteer and a School Volunteer Application should be completed. An exception would be visitors. Visitors are chaperoned by a staff person and are only temporarily at a school site, e.g. delivery people, mail persons, etc.
QUESTION:
Are volunteers covered if they get hurt?
ANSWER:
Volunteers are cover for injury up to $1,500, but they must complete a School Volunteer Application, submit to a picture ID check, and sign in when they enter a school location in order to receive coverage.
QUESTION:
How do I know that volunteers are safe for volunteering?
ANSWER:
Volunteers should never be unsupervised. Volunteers fill out a School Volunteer Application with an ID check. Applications are sent to Volunteer services. The applications are then checked for completeness and sent to the Fingerprint ID and Background office for a background check in order to exclude sex-offenders and identify existing wants and warrants. The school and the volunteer are contacted if there is an unacceptable determination.
QUESTION:
Are Read & Succeed Program volunteers cleared to volunteer?
ANSWER:
Yes, all Read and Succeed volunteers are screened before they are placed at a school, as well as volunteers sent to a school through Volunteer Services. All returning volunteers need to complete a new volunteer application every twelve months. Most of the community programs coming in to the district are having screening done through Volunteer Services, e.g. Foster grandparents program, Junior Achievement, Boys and Girls club, etc. Check with Volunteer Services (775) 851-5655 or ask them if they have been screened through Volunteer Services.
QUESTION:
Do I need to send a copy of an ID?
ANSWER:
Yes, an official photo I.D. (e.g. driver’s license or work I.D, national or international governmental IDs) check is required on all School Volunteer Applications. This assures that the volunteer is using the own name. A copy is attached to a School Volunteer Application for use by the School Police during the background check. This copy is shred after the background check in order to protect personal information.
QUESTION:
Who do I send the School Volunteer Application to?
ANSWER:
School Volunteer Applications are sent to WCSD Volunteer Services through District mail.
QUESTION:
May a volunteer start volunteering immediately after they have completed the application process?
ANSWER:
No, a volunteer may start volunteering after a 2 weeks waiting period. This will give Volunteer Services sufficient time to complete the background check. The volunteer and school will be contacted if there are any concerns. If a school needs to have a volunteer cleared for volunteering immediately, they may contact Volunteer Services at (775) 851-5655 and Volunteer Services will try to fast-track the clearance.
QUESTION:
Do I need to have parents fill out a School Volunteer Application?
ANSWER:
Yes, parent volunteers are handled like any other volunteer.
QUESTION:
Do substitute teachers need to fill out a School Volunteer Application?
ANSWER:
Yes, substitute teachers need to fill out a School Volunteer Application to establish them as volunteers for liability coverage, but they will not need to be re fingerprinted if they are an Overnight Chaperone.
QUESTION:
How do undocumented parents get screened, so they too can volunteer?
ANSWER:
Undocumented parents may provide a driver’s license, passport or visa in order to be screened.
QUESTION:
Can the Washoe County Sheriff’s office fingerprint records meet the fingerprint requirements?
ANSWER:
Fingerprinting is only free through WCSD and must be done by WCSD. We are liable for the results and cannot accept another agency’s fingerprinting results. If someone needing fingerprinting is out of the area, e.g. Incline, Elko, Carson City, etc. arrangements and instructions can be made through Volunteer Services at (775) 851-5655.
QUESTION:
Does a law enforcement officer need to be fingerprinted?
ANSWER:
Yes, a law enforcement officer must be fingerprinted again through Washoe County School District. We are liable for the results and cannot accept another agency’s fingerprinting results.
QUESTION:
If we have an after-school program that is funded entirely by the Reno Sparks Indian Colony, and there are volunteers that work through that program. Do they also need to fill out a volunteer application?
ANSWER:
If someone is not an employee and they are a regular volunteer at your school, they must complete a school volunteer application and ID check.
QUESTION:
We have an undocumented mother who wants to help at the Central Reno Infant/Toddler Center. Does she need to be fingerprinted and complete a volunteer application? Staff will always be there supervising children, so they will never be left alone with her. She will be helping to clean up and assist the coordinator.
ANSWER:
No, she does not need to be fingerprinted, but she must complete a School Volunteer Application and submit to an ID check.
QUESTION:
An employee is volunteering at another school (e.g. the child’s school). Do they need to fill out a School Volunteer Application?
ANSWER:
When an employee volunteers at another school, they should fill out the School Volunteer Application, it establishes them as a volunteer and gives them volunteer liability coverage. But, if they are volunteering as an overnight chaperone, an employee never needs to be fingerprinted.
QUESTION:
How often do volunteers need to be fingerprinted?
ANSWER:
Every twelve (12) months. If a volunteer forgets the date of their last fingerprinting, have her/him call Volunteer Services, (775) 851-5655.
QUESTION:
How often do volunteers need to fill out a School Volunteer Application?
ANSWER:
Every twelve (12) months. If a volunteer forgets the date of their last application, have them call Volunteer Services.
QUESTION:
When do volunteers need to be fingerprinted?
ANSWER:
Fingerprinting is required when a volunteer is going to be an Overnight Chaperone es for a field trip or a volunteer wants to be a sport coach or sponsor. Volunteers interested in being Volunteer Sport Coaches need to call Student Services at (775) 348-0375. For the protection of volunteers, it is recommended that chaperon volunteers are in groups of two.
QUESTION:
What is a Volunteer Sport Coach or sponsor?
ANSWER:
When a volunteer is on a sport field/area, working directly with student athletes performing the sport, they are required to complete Student Services forms, submit to fingerprinting, and wear a badge. This is in all sports (e.g. Tennis, Hacky Sack, track, besides traditionally established sports like football) and applies to all genders (i.e. woman sports like Powder Puff football). If still not sure, call Student Services at (775) 348-0375.
QUESTION:
Does a volunteer who was fingerprinted, less than 6 months ago as a volunteer and recently hired as an employee need to be fingerprinted, again?
ANSWER:
Yes, all new WCSD employees must be fingerprinted when hired at WCSD.
QUESTION:
Does a newly retired employee who wants to volunteer-need to be re fingerprinted?
ANSWER:
If an employee has been retired over 6 month, they need to be re fingerprinted, if they are volunteering to be an Overnight Chaperone.
QUESTION:
We have an after-school program and there are volunteers that work through that program. Do they also need to fill out a volunteer application?
ANSWER:
Yes, if they are volunteering at a school.
QUESTION:
What do I do if a volunteer is afraid of identify fraud?
ANSWER:
Assure the volunteer that Volunteer Services and School Police are the only personnel who will have access to the application. Additionally, only the last four digits of a social security are now required and all ID copies are shred after a background check. After an application is processes, the application is scanned and stored in a secured system. After applications are scanned, they are shredded. If the volunteer is still concerned, please have them call Lisa-Marie Lightfoot at (775) 851-5677 or llightfoot@washoe.k12.nv.us
QUESTION:
I’ve had forms returned back to the school, why?
ANSWER:
If the volunteer form is not filled out completely or if the forms are old and outdated, Volunteer Services will return the form for completion and request an updated form.
QUESTION:
Who approves a field trip, Volunteer Services or Student Services?
ANSWER:
Student Services is responsible for screening/fingerprinting all sport coaches, volunteer or otherwise and is also responsible for approval of field trips. Volunteer Services is responsible for screening all other volunteers.
QUESTION:
If a parent is volunteering at more than one school, do they need to have multiple School Volunteer Applications?
ANSWER:
No, a volunteer need submit only 1 application. Volunteer Services can provide a copy if a school needs a copy of the volunteer’s application and the volunteer cannot provide a copy.
