Volunteer Information

Once you are approved, your status automatically renews each year, so you will not need to reapply until your Raptor application expires. 

You may volunteer at any school for school sponsored events. Please note—this process is required for ALL volunteers.

If your application was denied in the Raptor system, check your email as an explanation is always sent shortly after from volunteerclearances@spring-ford.net. 

Once you have obtained the correct documents, please resubmit your application for review on Raptor. 

Yes, you must submit your Raptor Application with your clearances attached, at least 2 weeks (14 days) before an event. 

A volunteer for purposes of this policy shall include but is not limited to the following opportunities:

• Serving as a daily classroom, library or office assistant,
• Assisting with classroom or building special events/celebrations,
• Chaperoning a single day field trip and/or overnight field trip/competition,
• Volunteering with any of the district interscholastic athletic teams, musical performance groups, home and school organizations and/or parent organizations including booster clubs, S.N.A.P. and working in concession stands or similar roles,
• Advising or assisting an extracurricular activity.

Clearances are current/valid for 5 years from the date the clearance was issued. 

Spring-Ford will utilize the oldest clearance date as your expiration date.   

Please upload the Department of Human Services Fingerprint Results to your Raptor Volunteer Management; an email will come to you from IdentoGO with this information.  

Please submit each clearance as an individual file.

If a scanner is not available, please follow steps below:

On an Apple device:

1. Open Notes and select create a new note
2. Tap the Camera button, then tap Scan Documents
3. Place your document in view of the camera
4. Tap the shutter button. Then drag the corners to adjust the scan to fit the page.
5. Tap Save or add additional scans to the document (to add another page).

On an Android device:

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2.  In the bottom right, tap Add
3. Tap Scan
4. Take a phone of the document you’d like to scan
   • adjust scan area by tapping crop 
   • take photo again by hitting the re-scan icon
   • scan another page by tapping add
5. To save the finished document, tap Done

Unfortunately, the District is unable to reimburse volunteers for their clearances.  

Yes, the Raptor Visitor Management System still requires a State Issued Photo ID when entering the school.  

Brooke Elementary Home & School Association 

Evans Elementary Home & School Association 

Limerick Elementary Home & School League

Oaks Elementary PTA 

Royersford Elementary PTO

Spring-City Elementary Home & School Association

Upper Providence Elementary Home & School Association 

5-8 Home & School 

Spring-Ford Music Association 

Spring-Ford Booster Club

Yes, keep copies of your clearances for your records.  If you volunteer outside of our District you may be asked to provide clearances, so it is important to keep copies for yourself. 

The Raptor Volunteer Portal for Spring-Ford Area School District is an area in which you can check the status of your clearances and update your personal volunteering information. You will obtain access to this area via email after you are approved as a volunteer. 

After you are an approved volunteer through Raptor, this is where you will see your clearance expiration date in addition to the emails you will receive 90 and 30 days prior to your expiration date.

Log in using The Raptor Link to sign in.

Reach out to Sydney Wiesner, Asst. Director of Human Resources via email at swies@spring-ford.net to indicate your request for field or observation hours. Do not submit a Raptor Volunteer Application. 

Please contact Lauren Morgan in the Office of Human Resources.

• volunteerclearances@spring-ford.net
• 610-705-6083

Question: What data is collected and stored when a visitor ID is scanned into the Raptor system?

Answer: The Raptor scanner collects the ID photo, name, date of birth, and the first four digits of the license number (the other digits are replaced with ***). In the event that two or more visitors have the same first name, last name, and date of birth, Raptor uses the first four digits of the license number to differentiate between them. Only the minimum data needed to accurately identify an entrant is collected (i.e., no address information, no Social Security numbers, no physical characteristic data, etc.). No other data is collected from the ID and no photocopy of the ID is retained.

Question: What is Raptor’s data retention policy?

Answer: Raptor strongly believes that all data belongs to the client. Client data is retained until the client requests in writing that the data be deleted. This deletion can be performed at any time, but cannot be undone.

Question: What data from other sources is stored by Raptor?

Answer: If the client uses the Student and/or Faculty modules, additional data can be imported into the Raptor system and stored similarly to visitor data. In the case of Students, student directory data including the name, student ID number, and grade level of the student can be imported. However, no student record data is imported (i.e., no test scores, no home address, etc.).

How is the data used? To what purposes am I authorizing its use?

Answer: The data is used to ensure that the district/school maintains a log of all visitor and other entry data through the front office and the district/school is able to instantly check that data against two databases: 1) a database of the registered sex offenders in all 50 U.S. states and 2) a custom database populated by school administrative personnel which can contain entry alerts such as custodial orders, known gang members, etc.

Question: Is the data shared with any third parties? If so, which ones and which data?

Answer: No data is shared with third parties.

Question: How is the data protected?

Answer: In addition to requiring unique usernames and passwords for each user of the Raptor system, Raptor utilizes firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, host integrity monitoring, and port filtering as well as the latest security processes and procedures to protect all of its systems. All information transmitted to Raptor’s datacenter during the log in/sign in process is encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption. Raptor utilizes a Tier-1 datacenter managed by a nationally-recognized provider (Cyrus One).

Question: How is the datacenter physically secured? Do they collocate? If so, is their cage physically secured and how?

Answer: Entry to Raptor’s datacenter requires both a datacenter approved photo entry card as well as fingerprint verification of identity. The entry includes a “man-trap” and both of these listed items must be successfully supplied before admission. The datacenter is fully certified and audited under the following standards: SSAE 16 (SOC I type II), PCI DSS (sec 9 & 12), HIPAA, ISO 27001, and FISMA. Raptor’s server cage is locked by key and not shared with any other tenants. Raptor owns and controls 100% of the equipment hosted in our server rack.

Question: Is the data encrypted on disk?

Answer: The data is fully encrypted when in transit to and from the disk but is not encrypted when at rest.

How are all communications to the system and within components of the system secured?

Answer: All communications are fully encrypted when in transit using 256-bit AES encryption.

Who has access to the data? What access do Raptor employees have to the data?

Answer: Raptor employees have different access to the data based on their job requirements and associated permissions. Access and permissions are controlled by unique usernames and passwords. As mentioned earlier, the data only contains the minimum information required to screen entrants and does not include address information, Social Security numbers, physical characteristic data, etc. No other data is collected from the ID and no photocopy of the ID is retained.

What access do district/school employees have to the data?

Answer: District/school employees have different access to the data based on their job requirements and associated permissions. Permissions by user level are set by the district/school. Front desk personnel generally are restricted to the ability to sign in/sign out entrants. As mentioned earlier, the data only contains the minimum information required to screen entrants and does not include address information, Social Security numbers, physical characteristic data, etc. No other data is collected from the ID and no photocopy of the ID is retained.

Have all Raptor employees with access to private data been screened and have they signed proper non-disclosure agreements (not just protecting Raptor's intellectual property, but with regard to the data collected and stored about individuals)?

Answer: All Raptor employees have been given full criminal background screenings and are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement that covers all areas of confidentiality prior to working at Raptor. What are the password requirements for internal and external users in regards to length, complexity, recycle, etc.? Answer: Internal (Raptor) – we take security seriously and, as such, we have very strict internal policies (minimum of 8 characters, Uppercase, Lowercase, Symbol and number). External (Raptor users) – We do not currently have a policy in place for ASD employees. That policy would be implemented and managed by the District.

Question: Is there an independent audit of their security practices available?

Answer: Raptor does not conduct third-party audits, but Raptor’s datacenter (where the data is stored) has attained ISO 27001 independent certification for its security compliance.

Can a user review the data collected about them to ensure it is accurate?

Answer: Whether or not an entrant would be allowed to review the data would be a policy decision on the part of the district/school and not a decision by Raptor.

Question: Is the software open source or closed source?

Answer: Raptor’s system is a proprietary application and is Microsoft based – Windows/IIS/SQL.

Does Raptor have adequate quality assurance practices to reduce the likelihood of data leaking bugs? Is there an audit available of these practices?

Answer: Raptor has a dedicated Quality Assurance team responsible for the continuous review and testing of our product. Raptor does not conduct third-party audits, but Raptor’s datacenter (where the data is stored) has attained ISO 27001 independent certification for its security compliance.

What is Raptor’s disclosure policy with regards to discovered vulnerabilities and possible or actual leaks of data?

Answer: In the event of a possible or actual data leak, Raptor would immediately inform the District so that the District could immediately communicate to the parents/visitors. Raptor does not store the email and/or phone numbers of the parents/visitors. As mentioned earlier, the data only contains the minimum information required to screen entrants and does not include address information, Social Security numbers, physical characteristic data, etc. No other data is collected from the ID and no photocopy of the ID is retained.