Kind of a happy ending, the liasion we are woirking with from the School District is handling this part of the election process i.e. he is checking parent info to assure they are parents etc (no...we have a Great Aunt of a student that has legal guardianship but it was questioned so on starts the investigations).

Thanks for all the input!

I agree library mom but in this case our school is on a charter (sort of contract) basis with the school district and every move we make is being scrutinized.

Many of the parents were also not happy with the situation either and were more upset that she knew this was on her background check and wasn't honest about it from the start.

Our school just has become known for it's level of security (you don't just show an ID to enter, you levelit at the office and get it back at the end of your visit).

I knew we had a different school....this really proves it.

Library Mom: great points!

Our school district does a simple DL/SS#. Not too sure how much futher they check if a red flag shows.

Now if it is a fraud conviction, don't let that person around $$, if it's a crime against kids no way no how should they be allowed to be on the school grounds. A drug/DUI conviction 10 yrs. ago? Look at the person themselves. People do change when they make bad choices. I feel that it should be a case by case basis.

Should the info be shared with others? No way, as rumors will fly and who knows what harm can be done.

We use volunteers where I work and they do have to go thur an extensive backgroud check because they would be around kids. Our HR dept. handles it and they will just tell us that this person is not approved, with no explanation. Which is the way I think it should be.

My .02 worth.

WOW! Thanks for responding!!
First of all, our school pays for volunteers and employee background checks and they are kept by the Principal or their Asst.

Why do you think the parents and staff were not happy this person was appointed to fill a term?

I was told by a office staff member about this volunteer's background check and the fact she was convicted of fraud and (unfortunatly) being in a small school the news about this parent traveled like wild fire. The ataff that were upset mentioned they had to be held to the same standards if not higher and a volunteer with a "past" is not "okay". That said, the parent did apologize for not informing the Board and discussing the issue before it got out of control.

I have had three background checks done in the last 7 years and really don't have a strong opinion just think it's a pain .

THere is just so much at stake right now and I just want to make sure we dot our "i's", cross the "t's" and spell check and if to run on the school board (which is a volunteer job) then we need a background check, pint of blood, and your first born!! .....can you tell I'm about to lose it!

[ 04-04-2005, 04:32 PM: Message edited by: mykidsmom ]

One other note on this - you will sometimes uncover unusual information just while collecting info FOR the background checks.

We have one longtime volunteer who has lived in this neighborhood for about 20 years has 3 kids. Nice person, definitely a "free spirit". She was a Board member one year when I had to collect info for the Bingo application. (All I needed was name, address, phone, and drivers license number.)

Turns our her first name on her birth certificate is something completely different. (She picked something she liked better.) She and her husband aren't technically married so officially the last name she uses probably isn't her real last name. And she's never gotten a driver's license in this state. (Although she still has her old one from another state from 20+ years ago.)

She was happy enough to give me all the alternate information - along with her extensive views on government and its overinvolvement in the lives of citizens.

Really, much more than I wanted to know...