Partners in Education
Volunteer Program
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding volunteers. Click on the question to see the answer.
If your question is not listed here, please contact the Volunteer Program at (210) 804-7226.
1. Who is required to have a background check?
2. What exactly is being checked?
3. How long does the process take?
4. If I'd like to go on a field trip this week, should I apply to volunteer online?
5. How do I know if I'm approved to volunteer or not?
6. How frequently must I have a background check?
7. Do I have to give my Social Security Number?
8. What if I want to volunteer at more than one campus?
9. I'm having trouble filling out the online form, what can I do?
10. What happens if I don't pass the background check?
11. What kinds of things will disqualify me from being a volunteer?
12. What does the "*" mean on the paper volunteer rosters?
13. How do I log my volunteer time that I do off-campus or after school?
1. Who is required to have a background check?
All volunteers and mentors are required to complete a background check, or Criminal History Record Check. Generally, anyone who will spend time on a North East campus interacting with students is required to have a background check. Because Human Resources and the Volunteer Program use different standards for their applicants, if you are an NEISD employee and would like to volunteer, you must also complete a Criminal History Record Check.
One group that we get questions on is artists who may give a performance at a campus. These do not usually require a background check, since they are only on campus once for a short period of time (a few hours) and do not have direct student contact.
2. What exactly is being checked?
The Criminal History Record Check is a criminal history check which you authorize NEISD to conduct. We input your information and process it against government databases to check for misdemeanor and/or felony violations.
3. How long does the process take?
If you use the Online Criminal History Record Check, the process will take less than 5 business days. If you use the paper form, it will take considerably longer.
4. If I'd like to go on a field trip this week, should I apply to volunteer online?
No. Once your information is in the online process we cannot retrieve it until a specific time, which may be after your field trip. Call the Volunteer Program at 804-7226 if you would like to go on a field trip scheduled for the next 7 days.
5. How do I know if I'm approved to volunteer or not?
Due to the large number of applicants, we will not notify you of your volunteer status. To get your status or your volunteer identification number, call your school office or the Volunteer Program.
6. How frequently must I have a background check?
The Volunteer Program will automatically resubmit volunteer applications every 3 years for a criminal history background. There is no need for you to reapply.
If you do not volunteer within a twelve month period, your account may be inactivated. Call the Volunteer Program to update it.
7. Do I have to give my Social Security Number?
No. We no longer ask for Social Security Number for our records.
8. What if I want to volunteer at more than one campus?
You can list up to 4 schools on your Criminal History Record Check (both the online and the paper versions).
To add multiple schools in the online application, hold down the "Ctrl" key and click each school that you would like to volunteer at.
9. I'm having trouble filling out the online form, what can I do?
If you are having trouble completing the form, you may want to try a few things:
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Check the directions carefully, and make sure you are using the correct formats when you type in your information such as phone number, date of birth, and so forth. Also be sure you complete all of the fields with an asterisk (*), those fields are required.
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Close the form, then re-open and try again. Even though the internet has been around a long time, experience tells us that sometimes things just get a little bit "off", and starting over solves the problem.
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Check your browser version. You should be using Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher for best results. Updating an old browser version can help solve problems.
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Finally, if you still need help, please contact the Volunteer Program at (210) 804-7226, or send an e-mail to Sandra Kozero.
10. What happens if I don't pass the Background Check?
If you fail to clear the Criminal History Record Check, you will not be able to volunteer at any of the NEISD campuses.
You will also be notified by mail. At that point, you have several options for appealing. Please contact the District Volunteer Coordinator at (210) 804-7226 for details.
11. What kinds of things will disqualify me from being a volunteer?
The more serious the offense, the more likely it is that you will not be able to serve as a volunteer. Generally, drug, assault and felony convictions may keep you from being a volunteer at NEISD.
12. What does the "*" mean on the paper approved volunteer rosters?
It just means that the volunteer is new to the list this month.
13. How do I log my volunteer time that I do off-campus or after school?
We have a unique program for our volunteers called Virtual Volunteer. It is part of the Raptor security software that we use at our campuses. If you log your off-campus hours through this site, you do not need to fill out the paper volunteer log.
You can access the Virtual Volunteer Help Sheet or simply go to www.v-volunteer.com and follow the directions to create an account. Once you have an account, to log volunteer hours done away from your school, choose your school and click "Go." Then click on the "log hours" button to enter your hours with the date, start time, and end time.
For more help to create a Virtual Volunteer account, click here.
Last modified Dec 07, 2007