Parent volunteers at all Morgan Hill Unified School District schools are now required to have fingerprinting and tuberculosis testing done prior to working on school grounds, according to local school officials.
“MHUSD welcomes any member of the student’s family, caring adults in the student’s life, as well as members of our local community to volunteer,” the Aug. 19 press release reads. “All volunteers working on the school grounds on a regular, ongoing basis need to have their fingerprints and tuberculosis test results on file at the MHUSD office.”
Volunteers required for testing include:
• Ongoing, long-term: Volunteering at the school regularly, more than once a year;
• At school: Volunteering on school grounds or in the classroom, has access to privileged information;
• Face-to-face: Volunteering with direct contact with children
• Alone: Volunteering as the sole adult with children, unsupervised with children (i.e., during a field trip); and
• School-sponsored trips: Athletics, band, field trips, science camp, etc.
“The purpose of the criminal background check is to insure that a person is permitted by law to participate in a school setting as a volunteer or employee,” according to the new policy. “The California Education Code, Health and Safety Code and Penal Code sections determine which offenses are or are not permitted. Fingerprinting is the most accurate way to collect this information.”
As part of the policy, MHUSD requires that a new fingerprint clearance be conducted with results sent to MHUSD even if the parent volunteer has been fingerprinted for their work or with an outside organization.
All results will be kept on file at MHUSD.
A fingerprinting form can be obtained at the district office (15600 Concord Circle). To make an appointment, contact human resources at (408) 201-6020. Volunteers must pay the $52 cost for fingerprinting.
Once cleared, volunteers will receive a badge, which must be worn when on campus or at a school sponsored trip.
Those volunteers not required to get fingerprinting include those bringing baked goods to the school for an event; those selling flowers before and after a school theater performance; those completing classroom jobs at home and returning them to a teacher when dropping a child off for school; those doing volunteer work at home; those judging the yearly science fair; and those coordinating book orders.
