The Wake County school system wants to eventually run nightly criminal records checks on all school district employees.
The school board took the first step toward making that possible when it gave initial approval last week to these revisions to the criminal records check policy. It would spell out more clearly that all employees are subject to regular ongoing record checks.
Prospective school volunteers and all school district job applicants receive a criminal records check. But after hiring, temporary Superintendent Stephen Gainey told the board that automated nightly checks are only done now on bus drivers and volunteers.
Gainey said they want to eventually check all district employees “for safety sake for student safety and fellow staff member safety.”
Currently, all employees are required to report to the district anything above a minor traffic infraction. But since the ongoing checks are limited to bus drivers, it's possible that Wake might not know if a non-driver faces new criminal charges.
Gainey said they will still require all employees to report if they've been charged or convicted of a criminal offense. But the policy revisions will provide for ongoing records checks too.
The policy revisions require one more vote before they're adopted.
Comments
Why no Federal Record check...
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 17:41 — RonnieRon those who lived in NC for 5 years or more? You could be hiring a bank robber,
someone who comitted a crime on a Federal Reservation, a wire frauder, etc etc
If hiring criminals is a problem, I should think that they would want Federal violations
as well as State violations.
Checking federal records
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 17:55 — KeungHui (author)Checking federal records would be more expensive.
A lawsuit because of a pedophile
Sun, 11/25/2012 - 20:24 — FSandYOUwould be much more expensive wouldn't it.
You should share that with them at the next luncheon.
Ehh...
Mon, 11/26/2012 - 09:29 — Bob_SconceThere's a cost/benefit thing. They presumably do a federal check when the person is hired. It's very unlikely that, while employed for the district, an employee would do something that showed up on the federal database, but not the state.
According to the policy link
Mon, 11/26/2012 - 18:06 — RonnieRAccording to the policy link in the article, no federal check if you've lived in NC 5 years or more. So, for example, a cafeteria employee at a DODES school at Bragg could embezzle money, get convicted in the U S District Court for Eastern NC, not self report it and be hired.
Because person lived in NC in excess of 5 years, it would never be found out by their check.
Good idea. You just never
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 17:15 — jenmanGood idea. You just never know. . . .
Best use of limited funds?
Sun, 11/25/2012 - 13:39 — paulastamI agree the safety of our students is paramount but our schools are also operating with limited funding and is this really the best use of funds? Let's face it,at present teachers must report anything more serious than a minor traffic infraction and if a teacher sneezes in public and blows snot on someone, it'll appear on the front of the N&O and WRAL anyway! Seriously if a teacher assistant or teacher (already screened by HR at time of being contracted) gets a police mugshot, we all know the next day - no need to waste money on frequent background checks - spend the money on instructional supplies for our kids!
Paula, "Independent, Fair & Speaking Up for MY Kids."