ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY

PERSONNEL

EMPLOYMENT

Criminal Background Investigations and Felony Convictions

The St. Louis Public School District makes every effort to provide a safe environment for the students and employees of the St. Louis Public Schools. This process begins by conducting a background investigation on applicants being considered for employment with the St. Louis Public Schools.

The district shall ensure that a criminal background check is conducted on any person employed who is authorized to have contact with pupils and prior to the individual having contact with any pupil. Such persons include, but are not limited to, administrators, teachers, aides, paraprofessionals, assistants, secretaries, custodians, cooks, and nurses. For bus drivers, the background check conducted by the department of revenue for the issuance or renewal of a school bus permit under section 503.272, RSMo, shall satisfy the background check requirements of this section.

In order to facilitate the criminal history background check on any person employed, the applicant shall submit two sets of fingerprints collected pursuant to standards determined by the Missouri highway patrol. One set of fingerprints shall be used by the highway patrol to search the criminal history repository and the family care safety registry pursuant to sections 210.900 to 210.936, RSMo, and the second set shall be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for searching the federal criminal history files.

If, as a result of the criminal history background check, it is determined that the holder of a teaching or other certificate issued pursuant to Missouri Revised Statute 168.021 has pled guilty or nolo contendere to, or been found guilty of a crime or offense, regardless of imposition of sentence, such information shall be reported to the superintendent, who shall in conjunction with legal counsel, determine whether such information must be reported to the department of elementary and secondary education in accordance with section 168.283.

Criminal Background Investigations (continued) P4223

The Board may refuse to hire any applicant convicted of a felony offense or any applicant found to have a history of neglect or abuse. In making its determination, the Board will consider the circumstances giving rise to and surrounding the incident, and whether the applicant poses a danger or appears to pose a danger to students, employees, or the District.

Current employees of the Board of Education convicted of a felony offense must report such conviction to the Division of Human Resources within five (5) working days. Failure to report such conviction will constitute grounds for immediate disciplinary action, including termination.

Policy adopted: September 10, 2002

Revised: October 12, 2004