Volunteering with Portland Public Schools

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for Portland Public Schools! 
We believe that families and community members are important partners to support our students. To ensure a safe environment for our students, PPS requires volunteers to follow the steps below. Please review the Volunteer Code of Conduct (Step 1) and Mandatory Volunteer Training (Step 2) prior to completing the volunteer application (Step 3). In the online volunteer application, you will need to sign that you have reviewed these materials and agree to adhere to all of the requirements. A person is considered a volunteer if they have the potential for unsupervised contact with PPS students during school hours, including chaperones for field trips. 

You must read and agree to the Volunteer Code of Conduct before you apply to volunteer. Please read the document below before you complete your volunteer training, application and background check.

Volunteer Code of Conduct PDF (English)
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All volunteer applicants are required to review the Mandatory Volunteer Training and agree to adhere to all of the requirements. Please review the slide show below or read the PDF linked.

Mandatory Volunteer Training (English)
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Complete the volunteer application completely and accurately, including your full name, date of birth, and email address. The application authorizes PPS to conduct a Volunnteer Background Check.

Volunteer Online Application and Volunteer Background Check

Criminal Records and Volunteer Background Check Information

Portland Public Schools will conduct a criminal background check on volunteer applicants, and we reserve the right to deny applicants with a ciminal history and registered sex offenders. PPS recognizes that a criminal record alone is not an indication of the value volunteers offer to our students. When reviewing criminal records, the school district also considers:

• The safety of our students and staff
• The nature and gravity of the offense (s)
• The time that has passed since the conviction and/or sentence
• The nature of the volunteer work for which the applicant is requesting to volunteer
• The positive impact the individual has had within the community since the offense

If you have questions you may contact our Security Services Department at securityservices@pps.net or (503) 916-3000. We respect your privacy and any conversations with regard to your background check will be kept confidential. Refer to Administrative Directive 5.10.141-AD for additional information and district policy on volunteering.

If Approved
If you clear the Volunteer Background Check, you will receive an email that you are now approved to volunteer. This approval is good for three years for any PPS school.  

If Denied
If you are denied, you will receive an email. If you have questions about your denial of approval, you may contact the Security Services Department at (503) 916-3000. If you would like to appeal the volunteer denial, please use the form linked below. 
Volunteer Denial Appeal Form

The first time you volunteer at the school, you will need to bring a scannable government-issued identification card. More information is available on the
Visitor/Volunteer Procedures webpage.