LARGO, Fla. – By next school year, all volunteers with the Pinellas County School District will be required to undergo Level 2 background screening.

“We have increased the safety and security of every aspect of our schools. And this was just one additional area that we could work and increase the safety,” Mistine Dawe, the director of strategic partnerships with Pinellas County Schools, told FOX 13. 

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Dig deeper:

Right now, there are two levels of volunteers at Pinellas County Schools: Level 1 and Level 2. 

“If you are Level 1, you require another adult with you at all times,” Dawe said. 

Because of that, field trips and field days – for example – can get tricky, Dawe added, since Level 1 volunteers basically need their own chaperone at all times. 

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“I may have 25 stations out there, so if I have volunteers that are only Level 1, and I’m over here doing the slip and slide, I have to ensure that another adult is with (the Level 1 volunteer), because a P.E. teacher from 300 yards away is not going to see if that volunteer needs to walk off and go somewhere else. So if you need to use the restroom (as a Level 1 volunteer) while you are at a station, you have to be walked,” Dawe said. 

Meanwhile, Level 2 volunteers, who don’t need to be monitored or escorted at all times, go through a more extensive background check, which includes fingerprinting. With Level 1 volunteers, the school district simply uses a system that checks court records, Dawe explained. 

“So a moment in time, we would check court records. You either qualified or didn’t qualify, and we would let you know that way. But then there was no continuous monitoring because we had no fingerprints on file. So we relied a lot on self-reporting for Level 1,” Dawe said. “But with Level 2s, we have the ability to get that automatic email from the state as soon as there is a new court record or a new arrest for us to review.”

What we know:

The school district’s fingerprinting requirement is going to create an additional cost for the volunteer. It used to be around $50 to volunteer. Under the new change, it’ll cost between $75-$85 to volunteer with Pinellas County Schools. 

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And, there was concern about the potential effect this could have. 

“We did worry about the cost being a barrier and that’s why, as a district, we determined that we will find a way,” Dawe said. “If you have a heart to serve children, we are going to find a way to cover that cost if you are unable to do so. That is really, really important to our district as a whole.”

Officials identified several areas where additional funds to help pay for these Level 2 costs could come from, including the Pinellas Education Foundation, Title I funding, and some community and faith-based partnerships.

“If this is a financial hardship to you and you are unable to pay, reach directly out to my office in Strategic Partnerships, and we will find a way to support you,” Dawe said. 

What’s next:

Pinellas County Schools told FOX 13 it has 8,500 Level 1 volunteers and 9,500 Level 2 volunteers. Current volunteers should expect to receive an email from the district this week with more information on what’s needed to make sure they are compliant under the new volunteer plan. 

“Starting in January, all new volunteers will be Level 2. Then all current Level 1 volunteers will have until the summer, July 1, to become a Level 2 volunteer. And at that time, if they have chosen not to become (a Level 2 volunteer), they just become inactive until they’re ready,” Dawe added. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered during an interview with Pinellas Schools’ Mistine Dawe. 

Pinellas CountyEducation