PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — With the new year comes some big changes for volunteers in Pinellas County Schools. The district is now requiring all volunteers to go through a Level 2 background screening, costing volunteers anywhere from $75 to $90.

What You Need To Know

All Pinellas County school volunteers will be required to complete a Level 2 background screening

Level 2 background screenings cost anywhere from $75 to $90, which volunteers are responsible for

District officials say that if anyone needs financial assistance to cover the costs, they can reach out to the district

LINK: More about Level 2, how to volunteer

Curtis Campogni has two kids in Pinellas County Schools and volunteers himself. He says an email he received from the district prior to going on winter break is on his mind. It stated that as of January, all volunteers must undergo a Level 2 background screening and pay for it.

“First and foremost, moving to a Level 2 is definitely safer and prioritizing children’s safety is the primary goal,” said Campogni, and while he says Level 2 screening is absolutely safer for students, he has a lot of questions about the implementation.

“It’s not just simply the cost associated with it, it’s the time, the communication,” he said. “It’s some of the bureaucracy that comes with, well what does it mean to be a volunteer and what does it mean to be a mentor?” 

Mistine Dawe is the director of strategic partnerships for Pinellas County Schools. She says all 9,000 Level 1 volunteers will need to become Level 2 volunteers by the end of June.

“Which means they will go through a background screening with clearinghouse,” Dawe said. “It’s the same system we use for our employees, and we also use it for our contractors, so they will be fingerprinted. That allows us to have continuous monitoring; it also allows us to have any arrest notifications that come in.”

Dawe says fingerprinting can cost anywhere from $75 to $90, but there is financial assistance in place for anyone who needs it. She says the district doesn’t want to place any barriers for anyone who wants to give their time.

“As we began to look at the safety and security of our schools, this was just an area that we knew we needed to make some adjustments in,” she said.

Campogni says he appreciates the added security and hopes volunteers don’t get discouraged.

“Being a mentor, or being a volunteer is about planting trees for the shade you might not see, but you will see it, so do not get discouraged,” he said. “Ask a lot of questions, get involved, and continue to wrap this village around our students.”

Pinellas County Schools urges any volunteers who need assistance or have questions about the new policy to reach out.