Volunteer in a Wilton School

In September 2018, we instituted a new procedure for volunteers working independently with students.  This procedure was put in place to improve and expand upon screening protocols for volunteers in our school buildings.  All school volunteers are classified into two groups: adults who spend time with students while in the presence of Wilton Public Schools staff and adults who spend time with students while not in the presence of Wilton Public Schools staff.  More specifics about these two groups are outlined below. 

• assist in the classroom, library learning commons, cafeteria, or any other location
  in school buildings where other Wilton Public Schools staff members are present; or
• attend a school function during the day or outside of school hours when other
  Wilton Public Schools staff members are present; or
• serve as monitors for the WHS “Cave”
• accompany students on a field trip or school-related event in grades 9-12.

Group Two Volunteers:

• assist in the classroom, library learning commons, cafeteria, or any other location in school buildings where other Wilton Public Schools staff members are NOT present at some point during the volunteer’s visit; or
• accompany students on a field trip during or outside of the school day (PreK-8); or
• accompany students on an overnight field trip (PreK-12); or
• serve as student interns.

To submit to a background check, you should enter the Secure Volunteer portal through this page using the APPLY NOW BUTTON.  PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR BCHEX SCREENING UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED AS A GROUP TWO VOLUNTEER by your child’s school.

APPLY NOW!

Here is how that approval works:

1. Sign up for a volunteer opportunity that involves you working with students when other staff members are not present (i.e. chaperoning a field trip, assisting in the school building without other staff members present).
2. Confirm with your child’s teacher or the person overseeing the event that you are assigned to the event and that you should proceed to the Bchex background check.  If you are simply volunteering in the classroom or library learning commons with other staff present, you do not need to be screened through Bchex.
3.  If you have been screened by Bchex previously, assess whether your screening needs to be updated.
4. If you have never been screened or require an updated screening, proceed to the Bchex portal. 
5. If you choose to pay the $25.00 fee, please do so by submitting a check to made out to Treasurer, Town of Wilton. This check should include “Bchex” in the subject line and can be sent to the main office of the school in which you are volunteering.  Paying the fee yourself will help offset the cost of Bchex volunteer screenings for our school district. If you are unable to pay the fee, it will be paid by the school district. 
6. Once your background check is complete and you have been approved, your name will be added to the “approved group two volunteers” list for your child’s school.  Please note that if you do not sign up to work as a group two volunteer, then you do not need to complete any additional screenings beyond the standard driver’s license screening required for every visitor at the main entrance of each school.