
Polk County Public Schools has received new guidance about state-mandated volunteer background screening requirements going into effect this year.
Based on this guidance from the Florida Department of Education, many PCPS volunteers will not be required to undergo a Level 2 background check.
PCPS has created three classifications to help clarify who needs a background check, what type of background check is required, and whether the individual must be monitored by a staff member:
- Visitors — No background check required. Visitors must be monitored by a staff member at all times and follow the process to sign in and sign out though the school’s front office.
- Volunteer (Level 1) — A background check of Level 1 and approved volunteer application is required. Volunteers (Level 1) MUST always be under the direct supervision or line-of-sight of a PCPS employee.
- Volunteer (Level 2) — A background check of Level 2 and approved volunteer application is required. Volunteers (Level 2) are NOT required to be under the direct supervision or line-of-sight of a PCPS employee at all times.
We are happy to report that current PCPS volunteers will now be designated as Level 1 status, and they can continue their service in our schools. In addition, we will reopen the volunteer renewal and application process for volunteer (Level 1) screening effective Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.
The school district is still developing a volunteer (Level 2) screening process. We will provide an update once this new process is ready for application submissions.
For more information about the volunteer levels and to find where to apply, please visit polkschoolsfl.com/getinvolved.
If you have any questions regarding the volunteer application process, please reach out to the PCPS Volunteer Office at 863-457-4708 (option 2), or send an email to
[email protected].