4048 Criminal History Record Check

The Board of Education acknowledges its responsibility to seek employees who are qualified in every respect. The Board of Education will utilize the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) national criminal history record check process, as required by state law, for recommended applicants to assist in the selection of employees and may, as deemed necessary, utilize the OSBI national criminal history record check process as provided by the state legislature for existing employees. The Board of Education may also utilize private services for national criminal record searches for recommended applicants, in addition to the OSBI record search, and may, as deemed necessary, utilize private services for national criminal background searches for existing employees. It is the policy of this Board of Education to require a signed release from all applicants allowing a national criminal history record check to be conducted which may be accomplished by electronic signature via the employment application. The record check shall be initiated by the district’s written request, through the Superintendent or designee. If Oklahoma law allows the district to rely on a previous background check, the district may choose to waive additional background testing.

As part of the national criminal record check process, recommended applicants will be required to obtain fingerprints through the process designated by the district. The recommended applicant will not be required to pay for the fingerprint process and/or any portion of the record search fee.

If the recommended applicant meets all other criteria for employment in the district, the applicant may be employed on a conditional basis for a period of time not to exceed sixty (60) days pending receipt of the national criminal record search results. If an individual is hired pending the record search results and any portion of the record search results that are ultimately received by the district disqualify the individual from employment with the district, termination of employment will result.

Temporary employees who are rehired in subsequent school year(s) will be subject to an additional national criminal record search if a six- (6-) month or greater time period has expired since the last date of employment with the district.

For any person applying for employment as a substitute teacher, a national criminal history record check shall be required for the school year; provided however, the Board of Education may choose not to require a record

check if the person was employed by the school district during the previous school year. Any person applying for employment as a substitute teacher in more than one school district shall only be required to have one national criminal history record check, and, upon the request of the substitute teacher, that record check shall be sent to all other school districts in which the substitute teacher is applying to teach.

Any person employed as a full-time teacher by a school district in this state in the five (5) years immediately preceding an application for employment as a substitute teacher may not be required to have a national criminal history record check, if the teacher produces a copy of a national criminal history record check completed within the preceding five (5) years and a letter from the school district in which the teacher was last employed stating the teacher left in good standing.

 

Adopted 12/8/97

Revised 12/14/98

Revised 1/8/01

Revised 12/13/04

Revised 1/16/06

Revised 12/10/07

Revised 11/8/10

Revised 12/12/11

Revised 12/10/12

Revised 12/14/15