Fees will rise for Polk County school volunteers as state requires tougher background checks

The Ledger | By Gary White | December 18, 2024

Volunteering for Polk County Public Schools could soon be much more costly.

Responding to a state law that takes effect March 1, the district will increase the rate it charges potential volunteers from $25 to nearly $100 to cover the cost of more intensive background screenings. The district seems to anticipate a decline in volunteers.

Polk County Public Schools posted a notice Dec. 12 on its website and on social media announcing the change in policy for volunteers. The district will temporarily stop taking applications for new or renewing volunteers on Friday.

The pause will allow the district “time to revise our current background screening process to comply with the new legislation,” the announcement said. PCPS plans to reopen the process in March.

Polk County Public Schools will temporarily stop taking applications for volunteers this week as it revises its background screening process to comply with a state law taking effect in March. The law requires more rigorous background checks, which will cost substantially more.

Enhanced screening mandated by law

The Florida Legislature passed a law in 2023 requiring enhanced screening procedures for volunteers at public schools. The bill passed unanimously in both the House and Senate.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, elevates the screening from Level 1 to Level 2, which entails fingerprinting for all volunteers. As a result, volunteers will have to pay $97.25 to offset the cost of the background checks, the district said.

“We understand this is a considerable expense and could be an obstacle preventing some people from serving as volunteers,” the Polk district said in the announcement. “The Polk County School Board is exploring whether any funding exists to help defray this background screening cost, or if community partners are willing to step forward to help cover a portion of this expense. However, at this time, no decision has been made regarding a possible funding source.”

The district has approximately 20,000 approved volunteers, of whom about 5,000 are active with schools, spokesperson Kyle Kennedy said.

Polk County Public Schools has subsidized the cost of the background checks since the adoption of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act in 2018. The district announced at the time that the fee would increase to $40 but then said it would cover the increased cost of screenings and keep the cost to $25 for volunteers.

The law, enacted after a mass shooting at the school in South Florida, required national background checks, verification of Social Security numbers and addresses, a name and alias screening and a check of the national terrorism watch list. The law also states that volunteers must reapply and renew their background checks every five years.

‘Vitally important for safety’

The district has not yet determined what the final application cost to volunteers will be after the new law takes effect, Kennedy said.

Rep. Jennifer Canady, R-Lakeland, also voted for the 2023 bill.

“Enhanced background checks help keep students safe at school, which is our highest priority,” Canady said in a text message. “Counties across the state are handling this differently. I’m working closely with partners at the state and district level to ensure clear communication and minimum financial impact.”

All volunteers, including those previously approved, must undergo the new screening process, the district said. The requirement does not affect volunteers who are exempt from screenings, including PCPS staff, law enforcement members and college students screened through Pre-Employment Services. Students younger than 18 are also exempt.

The Polk district’s website lists several options for volunteering, such as the Take Stock in Children and AmeriCorps Polk Reads programs.