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Fingerprinting, Fees Required New Law Tightens Rules on Classified Volunteers On October 11, 2009 the Governor signed AB 1025, authored by Assemblywoman Connie Conway (R-Visalia), establishing a requirement for classified employees and volunteers who supervise pupil activity programs to obtain a new Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate (ASCC) from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). Many school districts already have local requirements for the fingerprinting of volunteers, but the new law will prove more extensive and more costly than most existing district policies. Under the new law, volunteers are required to complete a LiveScan fingerprint check that will check the applicant's fingerprints with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The fingerprint cost is $51. In addition, the applicant must apply for the Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate (ASCC) from CCTC. The application fee is $55 and the certificate is good for 5 years. Total cost for the process is $106. While AB 1025 only applies to individuals supervising, directing or coaching a student activity program, it does apply to more than just district employees and volunteers. AB 1025 defines a pupil activity program as "one sponsored by, or affiliated with, a school district including, but not limited to, scholastic programs, interscholastic programs, and extracurricular activities sponsored by a school district or school booster club, including, but not limited to, cheer team, drill team, dance team, and marching band." This does not apply to classroom volunteers or field trip chaperones. However, individual districts are able to develop regulations establishing a broader application than this statute requires. While it will be the individual's responsibility to obtain the ASCC from the CCTC, it will now be the District’s responsibility to ensure that the classified employee or volunteer has an ASCC prior to beginning their work with students. AB 1025 became effective January 1, 2010 and will become mandatory for employment on July 1, 2010. The CCTC anticipates having a process developed for application for the ASCC by Spring 2010. Additional information on AB 1025 can be obtained on the CCTC website at http://www.ctc.ca.gov/notices/coded/2009/0919.pdf and an informational webinar will be hosted by the CCTC on February 9, 2010. While this legislation may come at a difficult time for districts to allocate additional fiscal or personnel resources to monitoring the new requirement, it does provide an important opportunity for districts. In these difficult financial times, most schools and districts will begin relying on volunteers to perform duties previously performed by district employees. The new legislation provides an opportunity to begin discussions on how to safely integrate and monitor these volunteers in our schools and classrooms while ensuring the safety of our students. Source: Kari Sousa, CPA is Director of District Support Services with the educational consulting firm Total School Solutions (TSS). |
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