Volunteers, particularly parents, play a crucial role in schools nationwide. But should schools mandate background checks for parents before they volunteer or attend events like school plays? Let’s dive into this question.
Ensuring the safety of children under school supervision is a top priority for educational administrators. A secure environment forms the foundation for all educational activities. Consequently, there’s often a need for thorough scrutiny when working within school systems and related organizations. In many cases, legislative requirements make processes like background checks mandatory for hiring.
This approach makes sense. No parent wants their child taught by someone with a history of violence or abuse. Various red flags in a person’s background could indicate they’re not suitable for roles involving authority or supervision over children. However, background checks aren’t foolproof. Unfortunately, we still hear about cases of abuse and misuse of power each year.
While much attention is given to teachers and administrators, another aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked is parents. Are there situations where requiring background checks for parents is a good idea?
The answer is yes—and some school districts go to great lengths to prioritize safety. As we consider when and why to implement background checks for parents, think about what approach might work best for your organization.
Understanding When Schools Use Background Checks
Let’s address a common misconception right away: parents don’t need to pass a background check to enroll their children in school. There’s no need for individuals to worry that their past criminal convictions will affect their child’s education—it simply doesn’t happen. If a school were to try to mandate background checks for enrollment, it would likely violate several federal anti-discrimination laws.
However, there are many other instances when a school may require parents to undergo a background check. The most typical scenario involves volunteers who plan to regularly work on campus. There are various volunteer roles that may require background checks:
- School sports coaches, assistant coaches, or support staff
- Teacher’s aides
- Lunch support staff
- Tutors
- Front office/reception
- Chaperones
In these roles, volunteers spend a significant amount of time on campus and have frequent interactions with children. These are situations where individuals with ill intentions could exploit their authority and potentially commit crimes. Schools use background checks for these crucial positions to ensure a safe environment for everyone on campus. A simple oversight could lead to serious consequences, and unfortunately, there’s no shortage of stories about volunteers grooming and abusing students.
Some schools take it a step further. In an uncommon move, the South Vermillion School District in Indiana introduced a new background check policy in 2013. At the start of each school year, parents receive disclosure paperwork and are asked to consent to a background check if they
want to attend their children’s field trips or special school events like holiday parties, school plays, and band performances.
A decade later, that policy remains unchanged. Some other districts, like those in North Carolina, have adopted similar measures. Whether this approach is legally binding remains untested, but some parents have raised concerns about privacy invasions and how schools handle their background information. Before restricting access to events typically open to the public, it might be wise to seek legal advice in your local area to assess the legality of this approach.
The Benefits of Using Volunteer Background Checks
Schools depend on volunteers for various reasons. Firstly, it gives parents a chance to actively engage in their child’s education beyond the home. Secondly, volunteers help alleviate the financial strain that many public (and even some private) schools face these days.
Some educational institutions may worry that mandating background checks for volunteers could slow down the recruitment process and leave important positions unfilled. That’s a valid concern—but the benefits of adding vetting to the process typically outweigh those worries. What are these benefits?
- Preventing potentially dangerous individuals from holding roles of authority over children.
- Selecting volunteers who are most likely to contribute to a positive atmosphere.
- Demonstrating due diligence and reducing the risk of negligence and liability.
- Offering new opportunities to individuals striving for rehabilitation.
- Boosting parental confidence in school safety and fostering a reputation of trust.
What happens if you skip background checks for parents in important roles? The consequences can range from community outcry to the potential for serious harm if a convicted sex offender is allowed to volunteer. While a clear background check doesn’t guarantee appropriate behavior from a parent, it can significantly ease the concerns of administrators and other parents.
Striking the Right Balance for Educational Organizations
It’s crucial to enhance safety policies regarding parents volunteering in schools, but you can do so with a clear and well-defined policy. Outline the goals of your policy and clearly specify what factors you’ll consider disqualifying or not.
It’s also essential to address tough questions like, “Are we creating too many barriers for volunteers?” Additionally, who will cover the cost of background checks? Not every district has the funds to incorporate additional vetting into its process, but passing the expense on to volunteers might deter some from offering their assistance. There’s no easy answer to these questions; they require careful consideration on a case-by-case basis.
No administrator wants to prevent parents from being involved in their child’s education on campus. Take, for example, a situation where a man’s past drug convictions came to light while he was volunteering as a coach. Although he was promptly removed from the position, many parents argued that it was unfair to both the man and the children he coached. Handling challenges like these is an essential part of developing a process that prioritizes both safety and fairness for everyone involved.
Building a Safer Environment Starts Today
The primary aim of any school, district, or independent educational provider’s policy should always be to ensure the highest level of safety. Background checks are just the beginning, not the whole story. The most effective approach involves periodic vetting for individuals in potentially sensitive roles.
Should all schools follow policies similar to South Vermillion’s by requiring parents to undergo background checks at the beginning of the school year? It’s not a simple question to answer, but it does prompt administrators to consider how they can enhance their safety measures. With the availability of tools today that offer instant background checks, vetting volunteers and other helpers on campus has become easier than ever.
Learn more about implementing background checks for volunteers and delve into other crucial topics surrounding school safety in our Learning Center today.