Visitors & Volunteer Clearances

In January 2014, the West Chester Area School District's School Board adopted the School Volunteer Policy. The policy calls for background checks to be completed for specific levels of volunteerism, and is intended to strengthen the safeguards we have in place for anyone whose service puts them in contact with WCASD students. This volunteer policy applies to parents and all other members of the WCASD community who volunteer in our schools and/or serve as overnight chaperones. The policy requires criminal history and child abuse clearances, including reports from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare, and an original federal criminal history report.

These checks will be required once every five years for volunteers who may have some unsupervised contact with students:

Please note that if you are a new volunteer in the WCASD, you will still need to renew your clearances. However, if you have recently received your clearances or renewed them, and you hit a paywall, that may indicate that you've already completed your clearances and do not need to do so again. 

1 & 2 are required for all applicable volunteers:

1. Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check (fees waived)

2. ChildLine (Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance through the Department of Human Services) (fees waived)

In addition to 1 & 2, one of the following is required for applicable volunteers:

3a. If a resident for the past 10 years, a signed Disclosure Statement for Volunteers (download from PA.GOV website) affirming no charges in other states that would prohibit selection as a volunteer;
OR

3b. If not a resident for the past 10 years AND the volunteer has received certification at any time since residency established, the volunteer must provide a copy of the certification received since residency established;
 OR

3c. If neither 3a or 3b apply, FBI Criminal Background Check required (fingerprint check) for federal criminal history records (fee charged) 
      WCASD employees use the service code 1KG6XN.
      Volunteers at the WCASD use the service code 1KG6ZJ.  

For FBI Clearance - Please check your email within 30 days after fingerprints are taken. You will receive an email with your UEID# and the results. You need to save this email as a file and bring a copy to your child's school. You will only be able to access the email one-time, and you will have a 30-day window to access the email from the date it was sent. 

Many school districts nationwide are instituting similar policies as our entire educational system focuses on safety. If you have any questions, please contact your student's building principal or if you are a community member, please contact  Denise Clark, at 484-266-1070 or dclark1@wcasd.net. Thank you for your continued support of our students and schools.

Below are individual links found above:

Disclosure Statement Application For Volunteers
Act 114 Federal Criminal History Check  - WCASD employees use the service code 1KG6XN and volunteers at the WCASD use the code 1KG6ZJ
Act 151 PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form (CY113)
Act 34 State Criminal History Request Form (SP4 164)
Policy 916 School Volunteers
916 AG1 Summary of Clearance Requirements for Adult Volunteers Working with Children
916 AG2 Non-Parent Volunteer Disclosure Form