Volunteer with us!

2025-26 SDRF Volunteer Application

All volunteers must be approved through the district’s online volunteer application. Approval includes a successful background check, and is done every four years.

Volunteer Guidelines

While volunteering you may observe, read or hear much about individual students and their school or home experience. All student information (including student abilities, behavior, relationships, grades and background) should be treated confidentially. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student information. As a volunteer you must not disclose confidential information. Please take time to watch the following video for an overview on school volunteer responsibilities as they pertain to FERPA: 

School Volunteers and FERPA

• The volunteer may not be alone with a student behind closed doors or other areas that are not visible to passersby.
• Do not use or take photos of the students' faces.
• If there’s an emergency, take direction and follow the lead of your classroom educator, who will know the school policies and best way to keep you and the students safe.
• Be sure the classroom educator discusses food allergies/acceptable treats with you.
• Defer to the educator to handle disciplinary issues if they occur.
• Avoid topics that are not appropriate for school (e.g., alcohol, gambling).
• Contact information must never be shared between the volunteer and student. This includes email addresses, phone numbers, Facebook and other social media.
• Please conduct cell phone conversations away from areas of learning.
• Younger children: Many of the volunteer jobs require your undivided attention. If you have younger children and are volunteering in person, talk to your staff contact about volunteer projects that you can do at home.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK STANDARDS

The School District of River Falls  strives to maintain a safe and healthy educational environment that promotes the physical, social and psychological well-being of all students. All volunteers must receive a criminal background check prior to starting a volunteer assignment with the School District of River Falls. An individual will be disqualified and prohibited from serving as a volunteer if that individual has been found guilty or entered a plea of non-contender (no contest), regardless of the adjudication for any of the following disqualifying offenses: 

Sex Offenses 

A.  All Sex Offenses- Regardless of the amount of time since the offense 

i. Examples: Child molestation, rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sodomy, prostitution, solicitation, indecent exposure, etc. 

Felonies 

A. All Violent Felony Offenses- Regardless of the amount of time since the offense 

i. Examples: Murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated burglary, stalking, battery, domestic violence, etc. 

B. All Felony Offenses, other than violent or sex within the past ten (10) years. 

i. Examples: Drug offenses, theft, embezzlement, fraud, child endangerment, etc. 

 Misdemeanors 

A. All Violent Misdemeanor offenses within the past five (5) years, or multiple offenses within the past seven (7) years. 

i. Examples: disorderly conduct, public intoxication, battery, drug offenses, domestic violence, etc. 

B. Any other Misdemeanor offense within the past five (5) years that would be considered a potential danger to children, or is directly related to the volunteer functions. 

i. Examples: Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, providing alcohol to a minor, theft (if person is handling monies), etc.

The district reserves the discretion to consider factors and information, including whether the nature of the offense implicates a behavior that is contradictory to an individual’s volunteer role when determining qualification decisions. 

Thank you for volunteering as a field trip chaperone in the School District of River Falls. These guidelines help ensure that school district sponsored field trips result in safe and rewarding experiences for all participants. All field trip chaperones must be at least 21 years old. All field trip chaperones must be an approved volunteer. This is done through our online volunteer application and the process requires up to five business days for approval. 

• Leave other children at home. Students in your group need your full attention during the entire field trip.
• Familiarize yourself with the general instructions given to the students prior to the field trip and enforce these instructions throughout the trip.
• For the protection of both students and chaperones, do not place yourself in situations in which you are alone with a student. 
• Teachers reserve the right to assign and/or re-assign students to groups.
• Students in your assigned group are your responsibility. Know exactly how many students are in your group; learn their names and faces. Be sure that all are present before moving from one place to another.
• Always be safety conscious. You are responsible for the continuous monitoring of your group’s activities.
• Be on time for designated meeting places and departure. 
• School district policies apply to district sponsored, off-site activities. As a volunteer chaperone you: may not smoke or use tobacco or controlled substances, may not possess articles that can be used as weapons, and may not administer medications to students. 
• Keep your assigned group of students with you throughout the field trip, including time on the bus. Never allow individuals to leave the group, except in emergencies and then only with a partner. 
• You have the authority to enforce the rules and appropriate behavior. The responsibility for assigning consequences or using physical restraint rests with school staff. Report any major and/or continued infractions to the teacher as soon as possible. 
• Please do not purchase items or provide opportunities that are not offered to all students in the class or pre-approved by the teacher. 
• Sensitive information you may learn about a student’s abilities, behavior, relationships or background must be kept confidential.
• To ensure that you are able to devote your full attention to the important responsibilities of chaperoning, please restrict cell phone use to emergencies only. 
• Be aware that some students have photo restrictions; this means their family has formally requested they not be photographed at school or school activities. If you take photos, verify with the teacher that students do not have photo restrictions. Do not post photos of students on your personal social media. 
• If you have questions about any aspect of the field trip or the expectations of chaperones, please ask for assistance from the teacher or staff member in charge. We hope you enjoy your field trip experience. 

To help ensure a positive and rewarding experience, please take a moment to watch this short video about School Volunteers and FERPA