Volunteer Resources

Grand Gator Volunteers

Do you have what it takes to become a Gateway Grand Gator? Gateway School District is looking for individuals throughout the community who would like to volunteer their time, talents, and knowledge as a Grand Gator to help our students become successful.

We would like our students to have a link to our extraordinary community members. Monroeville and Pitcairn are filled with talented adults, either working or retired, who can offer wisdom, talent, experience, and dedication to our students to make their educational experience at Gateway more enriched.

This is one way for our residents to give back to our children and continue to support the school district as alumni and taxpayers. We need not look any further than our own communities for quality people to help mentor and guide the next generation and help prepare our workforce.

The PA House passed Act 153 of 2014 into law on October 22, 2014. This law took effect for the 2015-2016 school year and applies to employees and unpaid volunteers who are responsible for the welfare of a child or have direct contact with children. While many community-based programs and religiously-affiliated organizations have long required background checks for volunteers, this law provides a specific directive on the timing and type of background checks now required.  Volunteer applicants are permitted to receive one certification free of charge every 57 months for the Pennsylvania State Police (Act 34)  and Pennsylvania Child Abuse (Act 151) Clearances.  Residents who have lived in the state of Pennsylvania for ten (10) years are eligible to complete the Volunteer Exception Form in lieu of applying for the ACT 114 Clearance (FBI). 

The Gateway School Board is currently updating the Volunteer Clearance Policy. The current policy identifies three types of school volunteers, listed below.

What are the Types of Grand Gator Volunteers?

In summary, the different classifications of volunteers are: (Please refer to the Board Policy #916 for additional information.)

Assistive Volunteers (No clearances needed)

Any individual who voluntarily provides services for up to five hours per week to the school district, without compensation, and who: (a) works directly under the supervision and direction of a teacher or administrator employed by the District; and (b) does not provide direct services to students or have unsupervised contact with students.  Assistive volunteers shall be approved by and cleared through the license check each time they volunteer.

Examples of Assistive Volunteers:

They include homeroom parents/guardians; individuals who volunteer to assist in the planning or conducting of classroom celebrations; concert/performance ushers; and individuals who help manage, officiate or perform functions ancillary to an athletic event or extracurricular activity.

Independent Volunteers (clearances needed)

Any individual who voluntarily provides services to the District, without compensation, and who: (a) works under the general direction and supervision of a teacher or administrator employed by the District; and (b) provides direct services to students or may, from time to time, be reasonably expected to have unsupervised contact with students.

Examples of Independent Volunteers:

They include volunteer tutors, chaperones or individuals who volunteer to provide counseling or health-related services to students.

Volunteer Coaches and Sponsors (clearances needed)

Any individual who voluntarily provides services to the District, without compensation, and who: (a) works under the general direction and supervision of a coach or student activity sponsor employed by the district; and (b) directly supervises or instructs students engaged in the activity or may, from time to time, be reasonably expected to have unsupervised contact with students.

Examples of Volunteer Coaches/Sponsors:

They include individuals who volunteer to serve on the coaching staff of an athletic team; volunteer athletic trainers or equipment managers; and choreographers, musicians and other individuals who provide instruction to students in the marching band/school musical.

NEW….Classroom Presentation Volunteers – Any individual who volunteers to present during a classroom lesson or school activity and is under the direct supervision of a classroom teacher or administrator during the entirety of the presentation. These volunteer opportunities are typically one-time events. Examples of Classroom Presentation Volunteers include, but are not limited to: Guest Speakers, Mystery Readers, TAG volunteers and College Admission Career Day volunteers. Elementary Field Day volunteers may fall into this category provided they are under the guidance of and directly observed by a classroom teacher or administrator throughout the event.

Requirements for Classroom Presentation Volunteers:

  • Pre-approved by Building Principal
  • Schedule of days and times that volunteering will occur
  • Cleared through license check each time they volunteer in building

Requirements for Independent and Coach/Sponsor Volunteers:

  • Completed Application - located under Volunteer Forms
  • Pennsylvania State Police Clearance  (Act 34) - Link can be found under Clearances Tab
  • Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance  (Act 151)- Link can be found under Clearances Tab
  • FBI Clearance (Act 114) or Volunteer Clearances Exception form for Pennsylvania Residents who have live in PA for the past 10 years.
  • Act 24/82 Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form - located under Volunteer Forms
  • Approved by the Gateway Board of School Directors prior to volunteering

Independent and Coach/Sponsor Volunteers need to be Board approved. Your building principal will forward the completed application and all required items to the Personnel Office. These files will be kept in the Personnel Office. The Personnel Office will include the names of all  Independent and Coach/Sponsor Volunteers on the Agenda for approval at the next scheduled voting meeting.

Individuals at Gateway School District will not be permitted to serve as Independent and Coach/Sponsor Volunteers unless they have submitted the appropriate clearances. Independent and Coach/Sponsor volunteers will be required to have two current and valid PA clearances and one FBI clearance on file with the School District in order to volunteer after July 1, 2015.

How to Become A Grand Gator

Those interested in becoming a Grand Gator should fill out the application listed in the right-hand column then submit it to the school of your choice. 

If you are experiencing financial hardships, cannot afford the necessary clearances, but still wish to donate your time to one of our schools, please contact

Volunteer Areas Needed

Grand Gators are needed at all grade levels and in a variety of areas including:

  • tutoring
  • computer lab support
  • student mentoring
  • library assistants
  • reading to students
  • chaperoning dances
  • campus beautification
  • ...and more.

Business Owners/Professionals Needed

Gateway is also interested in seeking business owners and professionals who would like to offer job shadowing experiences to students, provide community service opportunities, or conduct presentations on transitioning from school-to-career.