P2125 Partner and Volunteer Activities

The Board of Education recognizes that collaborative relationships with community partners and volunteers play an increasingly significant role in supporting student learning and improved academic achievement. Partner and volunteer activities, which include families, students, staff, businesses, and the general public, create a spirit of involvement in and concern for public education. All schools are encouraged to develop meaningful programs involving volunteers, and are expected to participate in the development, reporting, and recognition of partner activities as defined in this policy.  

Administrative Implemental Procedures

1. Partner and volunteer activities will be consistent with long-term goals and strategic themes of the district. 
2. Partnerships and volunteer activities will be considered in one of the following categories: 
   1. Strategic Partner: Community organization or business that has a defined, ongoing relationship with an individual, school, district office/division, and/or the district. Established measurable outcomes are evaluated regularly (annually at minimum) and directly relate to one or more of the district’s long-term goals or strategic themes. 
   2. Community Supporter: Community organization or business that has an ongoing relationship with a specific school(s). The relationship is mutually beneficial yet may not involve measurable outcomes or a direct tie to strategic, long-term goals. Continued relationships are evaluated annually. 
   3. Friend of the School: Community organization, business, or individual that provides donations of goods or services to support students and/or teachers at a specific school(s). 
   4. Volunteer: An individual who gives of their time to support Wichita Public Schools (WPS) and its students without receiving a financial benefit. Volunteers may or may not be associated with one of the above categories. 
3. In all WPS documents, the district may use the generic term “partners” and “partnerships” to refer to any of the four categories above. 
4. All volunteers will sign in and out of schools using the district’s visitor management system. 
5. The principal will be responsible for ensuring that any volunteer who has direct interaction with students will complete the online Volunteer Registration Form annually. The district will perform a comprehensive background check on each volunteer prior to the volunteer’s interactions with students. Background check results will be made available to building principals prior to confirming a volunteer’s assignment.  
6. Community partner organizations that conduct comprehensive background checks on their volunteers will work with Strategic Communications to establish appropriate volunteer verification procedures.   
7. A planned site-based orientation program should be provided for each volunteer, and should include a review of applicable school and district policies and procedures. Training support is available through a collaborative program with Strategic Communications and Family Engagement. 
8. Reporting and Recognition
   Schools and district offices will report all partner activities to the Strategic Partner Council in order to accurately represent community engagement in the Wichita Public Schools, as well as provide an opportunity for acknowledgement and celebration of these vital relationships.  

Administrative Responsibility: Strategic Communications 

Latest Revision Date: April 2019 

Previous Revision Date: April 2011 P2125 

Updated administratively for alignment purposes: December 2020

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