Background checks needed

State Board of Education is right to support background checks for substitutes.

The State Board of Education is justified in supporting mandatory background checks for short- and long-term substitute teachers in every school district in the state. But it's reassuring to know that schools in Rock Hill, Fort Mill Clover and York have been running background checks on substitutes for years.

The 17-member board voted unanimously last week to require the checks. Legislators would have to change state law to make the screenings mandatory.

While no law currently is on the books, state education officials believe that most school districts already conduct background checks on substitutes. In most cases, districts pay the State Law Enforcement Division $8 apiece for the checks.

The Rock Hill school district, however, hires its substitutes through a recruiting agency, Kelly Educational Staffing, which screens everyone for criminal history.

Whichever method is used, the background checks are important. Substitute teachers have the same access to students and school property as regular classroom teachers. Without the checks, districts could inadvertently hire people with criminal records, including those guilty of child molestation offenses.

We also would favor a suggestion by York schools Superintendent Vernon Prosser: If the Legislature passes a bill requiring background checks, the Legislature should give school districts the money to pay for them.