The safety and welfare of students is of primary importance. ACES requires that all employees, and some categories of volunteers, college students, and interns be fingerprinted and pass a criminal background check as part of their assignment working in schools or programs.

For the safety and security of our students, a complete background check must be completed in accordance with State Statutes within thirty days of hire. This includes everyone involved in, but not limited to, student teaching, interning, coaching or team activities, school committees, before and after school programs, athletic camps, mentors, classroom and office helpers, and other school-based programs.

All volunteers will complete a Volunteer Application and Criminal History Check Form. The level of background checks depends on your volunteer level:

Level One Volunteer - Supervised Volunteer

An individual who voluntarily performs services for ACES for a single event, a consecutive series of days, or several nonconsecutive days for a period of one (1) week or less. Supervised volunteers do not have unsupervised access to ACES students and are not required to submit to a background check.

Guest speakers or presenters, invited by authorized school personnel and with the approval of the building supervisor, shall not have unsupervised access to ACES students and are not subject to this policy.

Level Two Volunteer - Unsupervised Volunteer

Though always under the direction of an ACES supervisor, Unsupervised Volunteers/interns and coaches may have some unsupervised access to students while providing assistance with tutoring, athletic, and classroom duties.

Level Two Volunteers must submit to both the national background check and fingerprinting (This includes café aides, mentors, coaches and college interns)

Note: Reports from background checks are usable within ACES on a need to know basis only, as per federal law. If the report has arrests or convictions that may disqualify a prospective student teacher, intern or volunteer, it will be discussed with the individual by ACES Human Resources only and not shared with anyone else. When cleared, the student teacher, intern or volunteer is approved for any ACES school or program. Approval is continuous from year to year as long as there is not a break longer than three months (including summer breaks) in volunteering.

Information obtained in the process will be kept in strict confidentiality. A criminal record does not necessarily mean that a volunteer will be prevented from serving in the schools.

This information is subject to change without notice.