In exercising its inherent responsibility to ensure the safety of our children, it is the policy of the School Board of Sarasota County to investigate the backgrounds of all individuals who work or volunteer in our schools and to deny employment and/or access to anyone whose background contains serious criminal activity. This policy applies to all categories of people who have access to children including, but not limited to: board appointed employees, volunteers registered in the Volunteer and Partnership program, interns, mentors and contractors. The Superintendent will establish minimum criteria, to include a list of offenses which, by their nature, will prohibit employment and/or volunteering in any capacity. This list will be made accessible to potential employees and volunteers. Additionally, any person who is actively serving probation may not work or volunteer in a situation in which they are alone with students until completion of the probation, nor may community service probationers perform the requirements of their probation with the School Board.

In its investigation of individual criminal backgrounds, the Board will confer with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and/or other law enforcement agencies as appropriate. Reports of personal backgrounds will be used for the sole purpose of determining appropriateness of employment/ volunteer status. In all cases, reports of investigation will be treated as “confidential” and shared only authorized by statute or regulatory authority. Applicants/volunteers may request a copy of their criminal history report; however, the report may not be used for any other purpose, nor is the applicant/volunteer allowed to share a copy of the report with any other organization.