The Pleasant Valley School Board is considering a change to its policy regarding child protection clearances for volunteers.

Currently, Policy 916 requires that anyone wanting to volunteer in the school district must have several background checks done prior to volunteering. One of these is the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certification. The certification cannot be more than 5 years old.

The second background check is the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Record, which also has to be less than 5 years old.

And the third is the Federal Criminal History report done through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This involved having fingerprinting done.

The school district also requires potential volunteers to complete an arrest and conviction report and certification form, and to get tested for tuberculosis.

The change to the policy involves this FBI background check. People who have been residents of Pennsylvania for more than 10 years would no longer have to get the FBI background check.

The policy would still require anyone who has not been a resident of Pennsylvania for that length of time to get the FBI background check done.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website, the Federal Criminal History Record is not required for volunteers who are unpaid and have been residents of the state for the previous 10 years. Volunteers who fall into this category “must swear or affirm in writing that they are not disqualified from service based upon a conviction of an offense.”

School board President Susan Kresge asked for some clarification and was told the policy change was recommended by the state DOE and the Pennsylvania School Board Association.

Director Melanie Zipp asked if the federal criminal check is presently required, and she was told yes.

The second reading for the policy change will be at the school board meeting on Jan. 26.