Volunteer Application (available only on school Intranet!)
Volunteer registration is currently available in our Media Center Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
WCPSS Volunteer FAQ
Q: What do I need to do?
A: All volunteers must register and have an approved criminal background check prior to volunteering in the Wake County Public Schools System (WCPSS). It’s easy—and it helps keep our kids safe at school! Registration usually takes 5–10 minutes, and reactivation usually takes 5 minutes or less. NOTE: All volunteers approved must reactivate their registration prior to October 31 to avoid having to undergo another criminal record check. So please save WCPSS the cost of this check, and reactivate now.
Q: Where can I register?
A: For security reasons, you may only register on our school intranet. This is available on computers at WCPSS campuses. At Northwoods, just stop by our Media Center. (At any other school, just stop by the school’s main office and ask about volunteer registration.)
Q: When can I register?
A: You can register any weekday (Monday–Friday), anytime between 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., through October 31, 2014. After October 31, registration will be open from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on Mondays only, with these exceptions: December 24, December 31, and January 21, 2013.
Q: What information do I need when registering?
A: Please bring your driver’s license (you may need the number) and know your Social Security number.
Q. Who doesn’t have to register?
A. Guest speakers and parents coming to school to eat lunch with their children do not need to be registered as volunteers; instead, they should sign in as visitors at the main office. People who visit for single or random occasions such as awards assemblies and for presenting at career fairs, academic fairs, and fundraising assemblies may also sign in as visitors, not volunteers.
Q: Do I have to register at each school where I have children?
A: No, you only need to register once. Please be sure to list all your children and the schools they attend so that each school can be notified of your clearance status.
Q: How can I find out if I have been approved?
A: Please call or visit our school’s main office. The staff receives an updated list of approved volunteers regularly.
Q: How long will it take until I find out if I am cleared?
A: The amount of time it takes to process volunteer requests and background checks varies depending on the volume of requests; most requests are processed within 2–3 weeks. The highest volume occurs at the beginning of the school year. Parents and other volunteers are encouraged to register as early in the school year as possible.
Q: Can I volunteer at Northwoods while I am waiting for notification?
A: No. Unfortunately, all volunteers must register and receive clearance notification before volunteering at their children’s schools. This is per WCPSS Board policy.
Q: Am I allowed to have lunch with my child even though I have not been approved by WCPSS as a volunteer?
A: Yes. WCPSS does not require parents to have volunteer clearance to eat lunch in the school cafeteria. However, if you plan to participate in our Book and a Bite program (where parents read to small groups of children in the classroom without teacher supervision), volunteer clearance is required.
Q: What happened to the “levels†of volunteer clearance?
A: Approved volunteers are no longer assigned clearance levels as in the past (levels 1 through 4). Volunteer applications will be processed as approved, approved for driving, or denied. Applicants who are denied will be notified in writing by the WCPSS Human Resources Department.
Q: I am a WCPSS employee. Do I need to register if I want to volunteer in my child’s school?
A: No. WCPSS employees do not have to register as volunteers to perform volunteer roles outside of their job assignment, such as volunteering for their own child’s school and/or class.