The Seattle School Board recognizes the valuable contribution made to the total school program through the volunteer assistance of parents and other citizens. In working with volunteers, district staff shall clearly explain the volunteer’s responsibility for supervising students in school, on the playground and on field trips. On field trips, both students and volunteers are to be informed of the rules of student behavior and the means by which they are to be held accountable to those rules. 

Volunteers are encouraged to report any inappropriate behavior or governmental action that they observe to the building administrator, their supervisor or the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. 

Volunteers in a school or a program serve at the sole discretion of the building principal, program manager or teacher. Permission to volunteer in a school may be revoked at any time by the building principal or program manager. If permission to volunteer is revoked, an appeal may be filed using the process indicated in Policy No. 4220. 

Volunteers are eligible for indemnification under district policy 6530. 

The Superintendent or his/her designee shall be responsible for developing and implementing procedures for the utilization of volunteers. The selection and use of volunteers will be consistent with those policies and procedures as specified for unsupervised volunteers as specified in Policy No. 5005. 

These guidelines do not address volunteer work parties or “Self Help” projects that take place after a school day or on a weekend.