SEARCHCome be a volunteer in the San Leandro Unified School District (SLUSD)! As parents, grandparents, neighbors, and community members, you have valuable ideas, talents, and time to share with our students and our schools.
It is our belief that our volunteer programs are beneficial to everyone involved. Volunteers help foster stronger school/community relationships by creating a common ownership in the success of our schools, as well as, demonstrating the importance of community service to our students.
The SLUSD volunteers provide support and guidance to schools to help them facilitate their parent and community engagement programs. Currently, volunteers work in a variety of capacities: doing work from home; acting as tutors/mentors; providing assistance in the classroom; participating on business/community partnership advisory boards; assisting in a school’s main office or library/media centers and organizing fundraising efforts for school foundations, scholarships, field trips, etc.
Types of Volunteers
What is a Level 1 Volunteer?
Level 1 Volunteers are volunteers who have minimal interaction with students. Minimal interaction is defined as those volunteers who have direct student contact for less than one hour per month and/or no one-on-one student contact (e.g. assisting with day field trips, one-time classroom presentations, fundraising, and special events would still constitute minimal interaction).
These volunteers will not be subject to tuberculosis testing or fingerprinting; however, an automated records check to comply with Megan’s law reporting will be required to complete an application.
If you are interested in transporting students in privately owned vehicles, please visit the “Driver” tab for more information.
How to Apply:
- Contact the school site where you want to volunteer.
What is a Level 2 Volunteer?
Level 2 Volunteers are volunteers who are expected to have more than minimal interaction with students. These volunteers have ongoing direct one-on-one or small group contact with students.
Level 2 volunteers can work with students in a district-sponsored student activity programs. Student activity programs include but are not limited to, overnight field trips, 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.
Level 2 volunteers are subject to all Level 1 requirements AND: (1) fingerprint clearance, (2) Tuberculosis testing.
If you are interested in transporting students in privately owned vehicles, please visit the “Driver” tab for more information.
How to Apply:
- Contact the school site where you want to volunteer.
Transportation for School-Related Trips
Volunteers interested in transporting students in privately owned vehicles must do the following:
- Contact the school site where you want to volunteer.
In order to be eligible to transport students, drivers must meet and adhere to the following conditions:
INDEMNITY PROVISION
- Student Drivers shall not transport other students on authorized field trips.
- The Driver agrees and accepts his/her obligation to operate, manage, and control his/her vehicle in a safe and lawful manner while transporting students pursuant to the Certificate and Authorization.
- The Driver further agrees to DEFEND AND INDEMNIFY The San Leandro Unified School District from any claim, action or lawsuit brought by anyone which arises out of or is in any way connected to the operation of the vehicle pursuant to the Certificate and Authorization.
DRIVER INSTRUCTIONS
When using your vehicle to transport students on field trips or other school activity trips:
- Be sure that you have registered with the district for such purposes and have a valid driver’s license and current liability insurance at or above the minimum amount required by law for each occurrence.
- Check the safety of your vehicle: tires, brakes, lights, horn, suspension, etc.
- Carry only the number of passengers for which your vehicle was designed. If you have a pickup truck, carry only as many as can safely sit in the passenger compartment.
- Require each passenger to use an appropriate child passenger restraint system (child car seat or booster seat) or safety belt in accordance with the law.
- Do not smoke a pipe, cigar, or cigarette while there are minors in the vehicle, as required by law.
- Obey all traffic laws.
- Take the most direct route to the destination or event without unnecessary stops.
In case of emergency, keep all students together and call 911 and the district office.
Volunteer Policy – Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Where can I apply to be a volunteer?
Prospective volunteers need to apply directly at the site(s) where they wish to volunteer.
I’m not sure if I am applying to be a Level 1 or Level 2 volunteer. What should I do?
Level 1 volunteers are volunteers who volunteer infrequently and who don’t have one-to-one contact with students. Our Volunteer Packet has more information about these types of volunteers. These packets can be picked up at the school site where you would like to volunteer. The staff members at our sites can help you figure out what type of volunteer you will be.
I want to volunteer at two different sites. Do I need to complete applications at each site?
You will need to complete a Volunteer Packet at each site. However, once you have received fingerprint clearance and Tuberculosis (TB) clearance, this clearance is valid at all sites.
How long is my volunteer clearance valid?
Volunteers are required to complete a Volunteer Packet each school year. However, Tuberculosis clearance is valid for four years, and fingerprint clearance is valid for as long as you are a volunteer in the SLUSD.
How long will the volunteer clearance process take?
The amount of time it takes varies. It typically takes less than one week to be cleared as a Level 1 volunteer. Level 2 clearance can take longer depending on how quickly the sites receive fingerprint and TB clearance.
How will I know when I am cleared to be a volunteer?
School site staff will notify volunteers when they are cleared. If you have questions about the process, you can contact site staff directly.
I just want to volunteer to drive on a field trip. Do I need to complete the Volunteer Packet and receive fingerprint and TB clearance?
Yes. As a driver on a field trip, it is likely that you will be transporting students without a school employee in the vehicle. For the safety of our students, we require full clearance of all volunteers before any volunteer can be in an unsupervised setting with our students
Fingerprinting Clearance
Why does the SLUSD require volunteers to receive fingerprint clearance?
Nothing is more important than the safety of our students. Accordingly, fingerprint clearance is required for Level 2 volunteers. However, Level I volunteers, or volunteers who only have infrequent, supervised contact with our students, are only required to pass a “Megan’s Law” background check. (See the SLUSD Volunteer Packet for more information about Level 1 and Level 2 volunteers.) SLUSD Board Policy/Administrative Regulation 1240 was adopted by the SLUSD Board of Education to help ensure that volunteers who have regular contact with our students have passed a criminal background check and are free from Tuberculosis.
How do I get fingerprint clearance?
Fingerprint clearance is obtained by taking “Request for Live Scan Service” form to a certified vendor. These forms are distributed by our school sites after the site has accepted the Volunteer Packet from the prospective volunteer. School sites also have information about local vendors who provide fingerprinting services.
How much does it cost to receive fingerprint clearance?
The costs vary from vendor to vendor but are typically around $70. The SLUSD works with one vendor who offers discounted services for SLUSD volunteers for $47. Contact Tarrell Live Scan & Notary Address: 27526 Tampa Ave, Hayward, CA 94544, Phone: (510) 786-9182.
SLUSD will also waive fingerprint fees for volunteers who are experiencing financial hardship. Please contact the school site where you wish to volunteer for information about fingerprint service vendors and for information about the SLUSD fee waiver application.
I received fingerprint clearance for another job. Why can’t you contact them to obtain this information?
Fingerprint clearance is organization/business specific and not transferrable.
Tuberculosis (TB) Clearance
Why does the SLUSD require TB clearance for volunteers?
This requirement was put in place to help ensure that our students are safe from this potentially deadly and contagious disease. Education code and SLUSD Board Policy/Administrative Regulation 1240 require employees and volunteers who work with our students to verify that they are free from TB.
What do I need to do to provide TB clearance?
Documentation from a medical provider verifying that you are free from TB is required. This documentation must have a clearance date within 60 days of the start date of volunteer services.
How long will is my clearance valid?
TB clearance is valid for four years.
I always test positive for TB even though I have never had it. Do I still need to get a TB test?
If you have tested positive for TB you will need to provide medical verification from a Physician (usually obtained through an x-ray) that you are free from TB.
How much will TB clearance cost?
Typical your medical provider will provide this clearance for free. There are other places that will also provide this service free of charge. More information can be obtained directly from the staff at the site where you wish to volunteer.