Live Scan Fingerprinting and Background Checks for Volunteers
As of April 2013, BSV is still in the process of becoming a certified live scan agency through the Dept of Justice, meaning we will not be set-up to fingerprint at all this school year. We continue to add names of individuals and groups that believe they will need fingerprinting once we are able to offer that service, so please do contact us if you want to receive any updates. Until the BSV office is able to start making appointments for fingerprinting, BUSD administration has approved all volunteers to continue working at sites as usual.
BUSD Volunteer Screening Policy
The following volunteers will need “fingerprinting” (aka live scan and background check) to work with Berkeley students:
- BSV volunteers supervised by non-certificated/credentialed BUSD staff
- Volunteers with other pathways into BUSD schools who are supervised by non-certificated/non-credentialed BUSD staff
- Mentors (unless they are assigned to and supervised by a certificated/credentialed teacher at all times)
Additionally, the Berkeley Public Schools Fund Volunteer office reserves the right to require fingerprinting for:
- Any volunteer or mentor who plans to have unsupervised “contact” with students (on or off campus)
- Any volunteer or group not able to meet the BSV requirements explained in our volunteer contract
BUSD will cover the cost of fingerprinting and DOJ/FBI background checks. They have contracted with Berkeley Public Schools Fund, our funding organization, to conduct all live scans for BUSD volunteers and mentors.
Volunteers supervised by certificated/credentialed BUSD staff do not need fingerprinting, under current CA State EdCode and BUSD policy.
Volunteers who believe they need to be fingerprinted should contact the BSV office to learn more and join our live scan notification list.
TB Testing: this is not a requirement, unless you are volunteering more than 3 days per week or 90 days in one school year. These volunteers will need to show proof of negative TB test results to the BSV office. Many Berkeley medical and community health offices offer this service free of charge, including student health centers at UC Berkeley. Please contact our office for details.
Because teachers create a schedule directly with their volunteers, BSV does not know how many days each volunteer is working with students. Please refer all volunteers who fit this description to the BSV office to learn about TB test requirements.