Registered volunteers are approved by the Bellefonte School Board after submitting the following:

1. The volunteer form and Statement of Confidentiality may be completed online by clicking here. If you get an error, please click here to access a form that can be printed and sent in.

2. Residency Affidavit and Arrest/Conviction ReportThis form is available from the school secretaries if you do not have access to a printer.

3. Act 34 Clearance (Criminal Record Check): Police record check and criminal history.  Please print out the certification form. For volunteers, the shadow of the Keystone symbol will be behind the information, and it will have the signature of the director. The Record Check Details page and the Invoice are not acceptable documentation.

4. Child Abuse History Certificate  If this is your first time using this system, you will need to click, "Create Individual Account," and then set up a Keystone ID. Make sure you click on "volunteer" when it asks for the purpose of obtaining the clearance, then there is no charge.

5. If you have not lived in Pennsylvania during the past 10 years, you will also need an FBI Fingerprint Report. Only those who have not lived in Pennsylvania in the past 10 years need to get an FBI report -- this is not required for all volunteers. There is a $28 fee for this service.

   Click here if you need to complete this clearance.

   • Enter service code 1KG6ZJ if you are only using it for volunteer purposes.

   • If you also need this for employment, please contact your employer regarding the appropriate service code.

   • Any report that has been run since you have moved to PA is acceptable.

Additional paperwork and a TB test are required for volunteer athletic coaches.  Please contact the head coach and/or the high school athletic department for more information.

Please send all paperwork to:

318 North Allegheny St.
Bellefonte PA 16823 
Attn:  Volunteer Coordinator

Or you may drop it off at your child's school office.

PLEASE DO NOT E-MAIL CLEARANCES

• Except for the FBI Fingerprint report, all paperwork must not date back more than five years ago.

• Pennsylvania does not charge a fee for the Police Record Check and Child Abuse Clearance for volunteers.

  • Free clearances can be obtained once every 5 years. When completing the application online, be sure to choose the "volunteer" option to obtain the free copy.

  • These free clearances are for volunteering purposes only. They will not be accepted for employment requirements.

All registered volunteers will need to update their clearances every 5 years. If your current clearances are more than 5 years old at any point of the 2023-24 school year, so dated prior to June 15, 2019, you will need to update your police record check and your child abuse clearance before you can be reapproved.  For those who have lived in PA less than 10 years, if you already have an FBI clearance on file with the district, it will not need to be updated. 

For more information on how to get involved, email Liz Stone, or your school office. 

Any volunteer who plans on working in the buildings during the school day, or volunteering at an after-hours school-sponsored (not PTO/Booster club sponsored) event will need to become a registered volunteer. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Field Trip chaperones

• School dance chaperones

• Classroom/building helpers

• Volunteering at classroom parties

• PTO/PTA/Parent Group events in the buildings during school hours

• MS/HS Fine Arts Department activities that are not open to the public

  • Helping at rehearsals, volunteering at Band Camp, participating in Drama Work-Calls, etc.

The following are considered visitors, not volunteers, and do not need to turn in clearances:

• Guest speakers/presenters

• Those in the building solely to distribute fundraisers to parents

• Those coming in to help only their own child with a project or presentation

• Attendees at a teacher/school-invited event

  • Promotion ceremonies, art shows, concerts, science fairs, Halloween parade, Grandparent's Day/Veteran's Day/etc. activities.

In addition, volunteers at PTO/PTA/Booster Club events and meetings that take place outside of the regular school day do not need to turn in clearances. This includes:

• Carnivals, sports banquets, PTO-sponsored dances/movie nights/shows, etc.

Senior Volunteer Tax Exchange Program

Bellefonte Area School District announces the tax exchange program for senior citizens. Seniors may volunteer their services in district schools in exchange for a tax credit. The program is open to residents 60 years of age or older and pay residential property taxes. Participants have the opportunity to volunteer 100+ hours of service in exchange for a $500 reduction in next year's school property taxes per residence. For 50-99 hours of service, one will receive a tax credit of $250.

The experience and knowledge of senior citizen volunteers are needed in a broad range of areas, including a host of areas working with students and helping our buildings. A small list includes:

• Working directly with students

  • Helping students in the cafeteria, library, classroom, or computer lab

  • Helping as a tutor

  • Listening to children read or reading to children

• Working in support areas

  • Playing piano or other musical instruments

  • Assisting in art, physical education, library, home economics or science labs

• Working in offices and building support:

  • Special assignments in cleaning, groundkeeping or painting

  • Assisting in the health room, library or office

Approved volunteers