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Volunteers at Roaring Fork School District in CO must be background screened. Some residents may not volunteer because of their citizenship status.

Background Check Discussions In Roaring Fork

Background screening is an important topic within the Roaring Fork District of Colorado. People who want to volunteer at local schools must authorize and pass a background check. While it is essential to screen anyone who might work with or around children, some qualified residents may be hesitant to volunteer due to their citizenship status.

Potential volunteers are currently required to submit to a fingerprint background check. One mandatory form used in this process asks the person if they are a “legal alien,” “illegal alien,” or “pending.” School Superintendent Rob Stein believes residents should not have to answer such questions. He said: “It feels unsafe for many of our community members to provide this information, and it’s not information that’s necessary for this purpose.”

Three CO residents who were vying for a seat on the local school board addressed the issue of properly vetting volunteers. Candidate, Jasmin Ramirez spoke in favor of background checks while expressing concerns about losing potentially eligible people. Ramirez said: “None of the parents, either documented or not, want to eliminate background checks. This is not about getting our fingerprints taken. … It’s literally about one question that says, are you legal, or are you not here legally, and the fear that causes for our families in this community.”

Levels Of Background Screening

Everyone involved in the discussion wants to ensure background checks are run on each person who volunteers at a school. One concept they’ve considered is establishing different levels of screenings based on the responsibilities for each position.

For example, some volunteers will be under constant supervision from a teacher or another school representative. Others will take on duties such as chaperoning overnight trips. People who would have direct access to students might be put through a more comprehensive background screening than those who wouldn’t.

District officials are considering options for the current policy. Most background checks do not require fingerprints. Employers that work with Consumer Reporting Agencies, such as Backgrounds Online, have the option to customize background screening packages based on the needs and requirements of any position or industry.

Safety Comes First

While no one wants to exclude qualified volunteers, the safety of each student is paramount. Shane Larson, an incumbent board representative, shared thoughts about this: “Like everybody else, we do not want to jeopardize the safety of children, but we also absolutely do not want to put barriers for those who want to volunteer to be in the schools.”

The district has scheduled public forums to discuss this important topic. Their goal is to make sure that schools have eligible volunteers while also ensuring they do not bring on people who may pose a risk to students or faculty.

Takeaway For Organizations

Every organization that has volunteers, employees or contractors is responsible for background screening each person. This shows they are performing due diligence and taking important steps to create a safe work environment. When vulnerable populations such as children are included, thorough screening becomes even more critical.

Backgrounds Online offers complete customization of background check packages. If you are bringing on people to represent your brand, please contact us. We are available to assist you Monday through Friday from 5am to 6pm PT.