Volunteer Information

Park Rapids Area Schools is fortunate to have hundreds of volunteers share their time each year with the students in our district. The Park Rapids district thanks you for offering to share your time, knowledge and abilities with our students. To ensure the safety of our students, we require criminal background checks on the following: 

* Any volunteer who accompanies students off campus (i.e. chaperones for field trips) 

* Any volunteer who is responsible for working with students on campus, but outside of the regular classroom structure. 

How to get started 

If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities in your child's school, please contact the building in which you want to volunteer. 

Background Checks

Volunteer background checks are an integral part of our efforts to keep students, staff, and visitors safe in our school environment. This is required of all volunteers in our district. 

School Classroom Volunteers & Chaperones

School classroom volunteers and chaperones must have a one time background check completed. You may download a Background Check Form here. To request a background check sent to you, please email Marie Skoblik at mskoblik@parkrapids.k12.mn.us or by phone at 218-237-6508. You may also pick one up in the District Office. Once the background check is back and clear, you and the teacher in the classroom will be notified that you are now able to volunteer. A copy of the background check is not shared.  There is not a fee to the parent/volunteer. 

Coaches  & Student Teachers

All coaches and student teachers must have a current background check completed before working with the students of this district. Background Check Forms are available for download here. Please be prepared to include your full name, email address, and phone number. Once the background check is back and clear, you and the Athletic Director or building principal will be notified that the you are now able to coach and student teach. A copy of the background check is not shared. 

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is very important. When volunteering, you may see, read or hear about individual students and their school or home experience. This information should not be discussed with anyone other than the student's teacher or school principal. If you need to discuss a student with a teacher or principal it should be done in a private setting.  

Bullying

Bullying, like other violent or disruptive behavior, is conduct that interferes with a student's ability to learn and/or a teacher's ability to educate students in a safe environment. No teacher, administrator, volunteer, contractor, or other employee of the school district shall permit, condone, or tolerate bullying. A person who engages in an act of bullying, reprisal, retaliation, or false reporting of bullying or permits, condones, or tolerates bullying shall be subject to discipline or other remedial responses for that act in accordance with the school district's policies and procedures. 

Bullying means intimidating, threatening, abusive, or harming conduct that is objectively offensive and: 

1. an actual or perceived imbalance of power exists between the student engaging in the prohibited conduct and the target of the prohibited conduct, and the conduct is repeated or forms a pattern; or 

2. materially and substantially interferes with a student's educational opportunities or performance or ability to participate in school functions or activities or receive school benefits, services, or privileges. 

A teacher, school administrator, volunteer, contractor, or other school employee shall be particularly alert to possible situations, circumstances, or events that might include bullying. Any such person who witnesses, observes, receives a report of, or has other knowledge or belief of conduct that may constitute bullying or other prohibited conduct shall make reasonable efforts to address and resolve the bullying or prohibited conduct and shall inform the building report taker immediately. School district personnel who fail to inform the building report taker of conduct that may constitute bullying or other prohibited conduct or who fail to make reasonable efforts to address and resolve the bullying or prohibited conduct in a timely manner may be subject to disciplinary action. 

To view this policy in its entirety, please click here.