Jan 8, 2015 3 min read

If parents want to volunteer at their children’s Halloween party or the concession stand for a sporting event, will they have to obtain clearances first?

That’s the question Trinity School Board directors asked during Thursday’s planning meeting as they discussed a new state child protective services law that took effect Dec. 31.

A portion of the law expands background checks for school volunteers and requires school employees, independent school contractors and volunteers in direct contact with children to have clearances and update their clearances every 36 months.

The new law requires unpaid volunteers who are responsible for the welfare of a child or have direct contact with children have clearances.

School board members are concerned the new requirements will have an impact on the number of parents who volunteer to help with children’s events and the cost of obtaining the clearances, estimated at about $60.

There are questions about the impact the expanded school clearance requirements will have on non-school sanctioned groups and organizations such as the Boy Scouts, who might use school grounds.

“I see the value in this and I know that we all want our kids to be safe, but there’s a monetary factor and there could be people who just don’t want to go through the process,” said school board president Jennifer Morgan.

Directors also discussed who would be responsible for maintaining a list of volunteers who obtain their background checks and are permitted on school grounds.

School board solicitor Rachel Lozosky of Peacock Keller described the new laws regarding child abuse reporting requirements and clearances as “sweeping” and said school districts throughout the state are reviewing their policies and bringing them up to date and into compliance.

“We’re all in the same boat,” said Morgan.

Trinity is currently revising its child abuse policy.

Current volunteers will have additional time to get clearances.

In another matter, the board voted unanimously to freeze all discretionary spending in the 2015-2016 budget unless deemed necessary by Superintendent Michael Lucas.

According to the resolution, all student groups attending field trips will need to fund 100 percent of the cost of substitute teachers, and employees’ attendance at conferences and workshops will be limited to those that are essential or mandated by the state.

“We’re prioritizing for essential spending and looking at places to cut where we can,” said Lucas.

The accounting firm Cypher & Cypher will present the school district’s audit at the Jan. 22 meeting.

In other business, the board accepted the resignations of John Turek and Gordon Lowry as high school band directors at the end of the 2014-15 school year and voted to advertise for a band director for the 2015-16 school year.

Turek and Lowry remain as music instructors for the district.