Costly background checks

It's no surprise that the State Law Enforcement Division would take a new look at what it charges schools for background checks in these hard times. But even as costs rise, this remains a necessary investment for schools that want to protect the safety of their students.

For years, schools in York County have been paying $8 for background checks on volunteers such as tutors, chaperones and aides for teachers and coaches. Now SLED is charging $25 per background check on each volunteer.

SLED officials say this is just an effort to bring consistency to what schools are charged and clear up a basic misunderstanding of the fees. SLED does not charge for background checks on teachers or substitute teachers. It does charge $8 for mentors and bus drivers, while checks for all other school volunteers are $25.

SLED officials say the rules were not being followed uniformly. Some schools were paying nothing for checks; some were paying $8 for all checks and some were paying $25.

Nonetheless, the adjustment is likely to mean higher costs for many schools in the state. The Rock Hill school district, for example, performs 1,800 to 2,000 criminal background checks each year on its volunteers and employees. If costs triple, that will be a major expense.

School officials statewide are hoping that an effort will be made to reduce the cost of background checks. We hope schools won't reduce the number of checks to save money.

With child safety at stake, SLED should give school districts a break on the cost of background checks. But even at triple the old price, the checks are necessary.