Volunteer Opportunities
The Fremont Unified School District encourages family and community involvement and support of our schools. Our students' caring adults are an integral part of our school system and we appreciate all efforts put forth by our families.
Volunteers on Campus
Volunteers at a school must sign in and out, must wear a visitor badge at all times, and must follow all site-specific protocols.
Volunteer Clearance
Volunteers without clearance to independently supervise students must remain under the supervision and direction of a designated certificated employee while working with students.
Volunteers who independently supervise students (such as when driving or coaching students) must submit an application through CiviCore, and may need to meet additional requirements, such as:
- Volunteers who are transporting students must submit proof of insurance.
- Volunteers who are independently supervising students must undergo fingerprinting and a background check.
- Volunteer coaches must undergo fingerprinting and a background check, and must submit proof of a negative TB test from within the last year.
Reference:Â California Education Code 49024
Committees and Advisory Groups
Whether you're a parent, alumni, student, teacher, or simply someone who cares about the future of our schools, you can help support FUSD by sharing your time.
View more information on FUSD Committees and Advisory Groups.
School Site Opportunities
There are a number of opportunities to become involved in volunteer activities, including:
Parent Teacher Association (PTA): Parent groups officially associated with state and national PTA advocate for children, support effective parenting and promote public involvement in schools. Contact your site PTA representative. More information at Fremont Council PTA.
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO):Â Site-based parent groups performing similar functions as PTA but not affiliated with state or national organization. Contact site PTO representative.
Booster Clubs:Â Parent groups formed to support specific student activities such as sports, band, fine arts. Contact site representatives.
Classroom/Project Support: Contact your school or teacher for more information.
Health and Safety Committee:Â Parents and students meeting to discuss emergency preparedness and safety issues. Contact principal.
School Site Council:Â Provides strategic guidance for school instructional program and liaison to district office. Contact Principal.
FAQs for Supporting Our Schools
In order to clarify the parameters of donations, volunteer involvement and other questions from the community, answers are provided below. Please note, all asterisks (*) are for clarification and are not part of the original state policy.
Q: In response to the proposed cut to elementary subject matter specialist time (commonly known as prep), can parent organizations hire individuals to teach science, P.E., music, or computer at their child's school?
A: No. Parent organizations cannot directly hire staff to augment cuts for the schools. All employees, classified and certificated, must be hired by the District. Any reinstatement of elementary subject matter specialists at schools will be done equitably throughout the District by the FUSD Human Resources Department.
Q: Can parent organizations hire someone to help perform non-teaching duties (such as those done by Library Media Techs) performed currently by employees and eliminated or reduced due to budget cuts?
A: No. See above answer regarding parent organizations hiring staff. Non-teaching duties currently performed by employees may still be considered normal employee duties/requirements.
Q: Can parent organizations donate funds to a school for the purpose of hiring someone to render services not offered at the school prior to budget cuts?
A: Yes. Parent organizations can donate funds to the District for the purpose of hiring someone to render services not previously offered at the school, however, parent organizations cannot be the employee agency. This should be coordinated with the principal and the school must fill out all appropriate paperwork with FUSD Human Resources Department prior to hiring anyone. The employee would then be paid through the District from the donations given to the school for that purpose.
Q: Can parents volunteer to help with teaching duties to fill in for the loss of employees?
A: No. California Education Code 35021 states:
(b) No district may abolish any of its classified positions* and utilize volunteer aides, as authorized herein, in  lieu of classified employees who are laid off as a result of the abolition of a position. A district shall not refuse to employ a person in a vacant classified position and use volunteer aides in lieu of filling the classified position.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature to permit school districts to use volunteer aides to enhance its educational  program but not to permit displacement of classified employees nor to allow districts to utilize volunteers in lieu of normal employee requirements.
* Includes Library Media Technicians and other classified positions.
Q: Can parents volunteer to help with non-teaching duties to assist employees as they take on a larger work load?
A: Yes. California Education Code 35021 states:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, any person, except a person required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code, may be permitted by the governing board of any school district to perform the duties specified in Section 44814 or 44815*, or to serve as a nonteaching volunteer aide under the immediate supervision and direction of the certificated personnel of the district to perform noninstructional work which serves to assist the certificated personnel in performance of teaching and administrative responsibilities. With respect to this noninstructional work, the nonteaching volunteer aide shall serve without compensation of any type or other benefits accorded to employees of the district, except as provided in Section 3364.5 of the Labor Code.
* Allows for recreation personnel or other suitable persons to supervise the pupils of the district during lunch period, breakfast period or other nutrition period.
FUSD Board Policy 1240 Community Relations/Volunteer Assistance provides clear guidelines regarding volunteers. This policy can be viewed here: BP 1240.
Q: How can parents help their schools?
A:Â Parents are encouraged to continue to volunteer (within the guidelines of CA Ed Code stated above) and raise funds to benefit their schools, as they have done in the past. Parents and parent organizations interested in donating to their schools should contact their school principal to coordinate any volunteer activity, fundraisers or events.
Thank you for your continued dedication.