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Schools

School vendors, educators scramble

Contractors are calling about screening requirements under the Jessica Lunsford Act while district officials are debating whether to share criminal histories.

By EDDY RAMIREZ
Published August 18, 2005

INVERNESS - With the deadline to start running background checks on contract workers two weeks away, Citrus school officials are bracing for long lines.

Last week, the district sent letters to almost 1,500 businesses whose employees may be required to submit to the new screening requirements under the Jessica Lunsford Act.

Since then, calls have been streaming into the district office almost daily from vendors still uncertain whether their employees must submit to a federal and state background check. Those checks cost $61. Several companies have made appointments, including a firm that employs about 200 workers.

Officials say this is only the tip of the iceberg.

"It's going to get worse," said School Board attorney Richard "Spike" Fitzpatrick.

To handle the influx of construction workers, delivery drivers and other contract vendors who will be on a campus while students are present, the district has purchased a second fingerprinting machine and hired two part-time workers to help run the screenings starting Sept 1.

"We're set up to deal with it," said Steve Richardson, the district's personnel director.

Meanwhile, district officials are debating whether to share criminal histories with other counties.

"Everybody is asking everybody," Richardson said. "We are looking to move in that direction."

On Monday, the Florida Department of Education issued guidelines to help school districts that have been struggling with how to interpret the Lunsford Act.

The act, which was passed in May, requires "noninstructional school district employees or contractual personnel who are permitted access on school grounds while students are present" to clear fingerprint checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI.

Those with crimes of "moral turpitude" on their records will not be allowed on school campuses. The interpretation of moral turpitude is up to the district.

Citrus school officials were relieved to learn that school volunteers and mentors, including parents, would not have to submit to the stringent checks. Instead, volunteers will only have to be screened against a sexual offender database.

Under the new guidelines, schools can also exempt workers who make deliveries before and after the school day.

Florida law already requires school districts to fingerprint all employees every five years. This year, the district will spent $37,000 to screen a quarter of 1,153 teachers.

On Wednesday, the School Board will hold a school safety workshop to discuss the measures that schools have in place to keep students safe. On Sept. 13, the school will hold a separate hearing to adopt a policy outlining the new screening requirements.

Fitzpatrick said that while the DOE guidelines helped clarify some issues, many people still have questions. In recent days, Fitzpatrick has been fielding calls from citizens and business people with ties to the school district wondering how scrupulous the district will be.

"I got people calling me saying, "Here's what I did in 1981. Is this going to impact me?' " he said. "They are worried that something silly that they did in their past will come back and haunt them."

Eddy Ramirez can be reached at eramirez@sptimes.com or 860-7305.

[Last modified August 18, 2005, 01:04:14]