4121.01 - CRIMINAL BACKGROUND AND EMPLOYMENT HISTORY CHECKS

The School Board of Polk County

Bylaws & Policies

Unless a specific policy has been amended and the date the policy was revised is noted at the bottom of that policy, the bylaws and policies of The School Board of Polk County were adopted on November 12, 2013 and were in effect beginning November 12, 2013.

4121.01 - CRIMINAL BACKGROUND AND EMPLOYMENT HISTORY CHECKS

The safety of its students is of paramount importance to the District. Consistent with this concern for student safety, and in compliance with Florida law, the District requires that, prior to initial employment or re-employment if there has been a break in service, all candidates for all positions shall be subject to a criminal background check to determine eligibility for employment.

The application for employment shall inform the applicants that they are subject to criminal background and employment history checks.

The cost of the background screening related to initial employment or re-employment after a break in service will be borne by the candidate for employment.

Fingerprints of candidates for employment or re-employment if there has been a break in service shall be submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for Statewide criminal and juvenile records checks and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for Federal criminal records checks.

A person who is found through background screening to have been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude as defined by rule of the State Board of Education, or otherwise found ineligible for employment under F.S. 1012.315, shall not be employed in any position that requires direct contact with students.

Individuals whose fingerprints have not been retained by the FDLE must be re-fingerprinted and re-screened upon re-employment or re-engagement to provide service as a support staff member that has direct contact with students in order to comply with the law.

Furthermore, before employment support staff in any position that requires direct contact with students, the Superintendent shall conduct employment history checks of each of the candidate's previous employer(s), and document the findings. If unable to contact (a) previous employer(s), the Superintendent shall document efforts to contact the employer.

All support staff members employed by the District must self-report arrests for serious offenses (see AP 4121.01).

Additionally, the fingerprints of all support staff members who are employed by the District and have no break in service must be re-submitted to the FDLE and to the FBI every five (5) years so that subsequent Statewide criminal and juvenile records checks and Federal criminal records checks can be completed as required by law.

The cost of this subsequent background screening will be borne by the Board.

The information contained in reports received from the FDLE and the FBI is confidential.

Although permissible by State law, the District will not share information received as the result of the criminal history background check with other school districts.

F.S. 435.09, 943.0585(4)(a), 943.059(4)(a), 1001.10(5), 1012.27(6), 1012.315
F.S. 1012.32, 1012.56