Seattle Public Schools

Student Family Portal
Application for New Volunteers
Seattle Public Schools / Departments / Volunteer / Application for New Volunteers / Student Safety and Background Checks

Student Safety and Background Checks

Keeping Students Safe

Elementary school children enjoying recess time on a sunny day. Generated by AI

Every year over 20,000 family and community volunteers serve in SPS schools.

Please note: While all volunteers must be screened through the background check, a criminal history does not automatically disqualify an applicant from volunteering in the schools. However, if an applicant does not disclose all their past convictions, they will be ineligible to volunteer with SPS.

If you would like to know whether your criminal record may affect your ability to volunteer with SPS, please review this flow chart to determine your eligibility.

SPS Volunteers

SPS is committed to providing students with a safe educational environment. We are also required by law to complete a criminal background check for every SPS volunteer. SPS volunteer applicants must be screened using an approved criminal background check before beginning service.

An SPS volunteer is a person recruited by SPS and matched with a volunteer role supporting SPS personnel and SPS-sponsored activities. Volunteers are not paid by any source for their service.

A volunteer shall serve in such capacity without compensation or employee benefits of any type, except for workers’ compensation as provided for in the district’s self-insured program. Volunteers serve at the discretion of the school leader, program manager, or teacher and may be released from volunteering at any time. See Policy No. 5630.

Non-SPS Volunteers Serving in SPS schools

SPS partners with many community-based organizations (CBOs) that provide services in schools. Schools also rent their space for use by parent-teacher organizations and enrichment vendors.

Staff and volunteers supporting activities provided by these organizations are not SPS volunteers and cannot be screened using the SPS volunteer application process.

CBOs, PTAs, and vendors must use their own HR systems and are obligated to screen and train their staff and volunteers according to SPS requirements. They must also carry insurance coverage for organizations serving youth and children. If your student participates in activities provided by anyone other than SPS staff, please inquire with them directly about how they screen and train their staff and volunteers.

Background Check Types and Fees

State background check (free)

A state background check is required for all volunteer applicants. SPS uses Washington State Patrol’s database, WATCH, to run the background check. No action is needed on your end.

National background check ($21)

How to purchase a national background check

If you apply to volunteer in a Tier 2 role (Usupervised School Volunteer), you will receive an email from Sterling Volunteers/First Advantage after submitting (or saving) the online volunteer application. This email will include instructions on how to pay for your national background check. If you do not see an email from Sterling Volunteers in your inbox, please check your junk/spam box.

If you encounter issues with Sterling Volunteers/First Advantage, please call their customer support at 1-855-326-1860 #1 or email volunteerassistance@sterlingcheck.com

If you have ever resided in the State of New York, there will be an additional $95 charge for every legal name you used in the past. If you are unable to pay the $95 charge, you will be able to cancel the order and consider the following alternative.

SPS has fingerprinting services available at the John Stanford Center in the SoDo neighborhood. The cost for this service is approximately $60, and a prior appointment is required. Results are available two weeks after the appointment. Please ask your School Volunteer Liaison to request more information on your behalf.

Why is there a fee for background checks?

State laws require SPS to perform a national background check for all volunteers who will work with students unsupervised. Unfortunately, the federal government does not provide schools with free screening tools as our state does. Therefore, SPS selected an online vendor to offer affordable national and international background checks for volunteers.

Financial Assistance for Background Check Fees

Every parent or caretaker should have the opportunity to participate in their student’s education. Schools can cover background check fees for low-income families using PTA funds, levy performance funds, or Self-Help funds. Field trip-related background check fees can be covered through the field trip budget.

If the background check fee is causing you financial hardship, please contact your School Volunteer Liaison and ask if they sponsor volunteer background checks. If so, please have them contact the Program Administrator to set up a free background check for you.

How long will it take to receive background check results?

  • If your application only requires a state background check, your results will be ready within a few days and come directly to SPS.
  • If you purchase a national background check, you will receive your results from Sterling Volunteers, not SPS, usually within a few days. If you encounter longer wait times for your Sterling Volunteers background check, please call their customer support at 1-855-326-1860 #1 or email volunteerassistance@sterlingcheck.com to find out what is holding it up. SPS is unable to influence Sterling results processing times.
  • If there are any records on your background check, your report entry encounters an error, or shows possible duplicates (criminal records of other Washington State residents with names similar to yours), your background check will be reviewed by the central office before your school can approve it.

How often are volunteers screened for criminal records?

SPS is committed to providing students with a safe educational environment. This includes ensuring every volunteer and staff member completes an appropriate criminal background check. Background checks must be renewed every two years.

Confidentiality

Volunteer background checks are confidential. As required by SPS Policy No. 5630, we consult the school leader when a review is required.

Thank you for helping us create a safe educational environment!