Records Investigation

The Oologah-Talala Board of Education believes that it has a responsibility to employ only those persons who are qualified in every respect. The board further believes that it should avail itself of means and methods provided by the legislature to assist in the selection of employees. Therefore, it is the policy of this board of education that a national criminal history record check shall be conducted of all prospective employees. The board of education is not required to obtain a new criminal history record check for an individual who has obtained certification from the Oklahoma State Department of Education within the previous twelve (12) months. A national criminal history record check is defined at 74 O.S. § 150.9 and requires a check of criminal history records entailing the fingerprinting of the individual and submission of the fingerprints to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the purpose of obtaining the national criminal history record of the person from the FBI.

Any teacher employed prior to May 19, 2020 who does not have an Oklahoma criminal history record check from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation as well as a national criminal history record check as defined above on file with the school district shall complete the criminal history background checks upon the next renewal of his or her Standard Teaching Certificate. Any other employee employed by the district prior to May 19, 2020 who does not have an Oklahoma criminal history record check from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation as well as a national criminal history record check as defined above on file with the school district shall have until July 1, 2022 to complete the criminal history background checks.

A written consent will be required from the prospective employee consenting to a felony records check to be conducted as authorized by Oklahoma law. The records check shall be initiated by the school district's written request, through the superintendent, to the State Department of Education. Effective November 1, 2012, the school district may contract with a third-party vendor who is a member in good standing with the National Association of Professional Background Screeners to perform any and all employment screenings, background checks, and credit checks.

Any person applying for employment as a substitute teacher shall only be required to have one such national criminal history records check for the school year. Upon request of the substitute teacher, that felony records search results may be sent to any other school district in which the substitute teacher is applying to teach. The board of education may choose whether to require a national criminal history record check from a prospective substitute teacher who has been employed by the school district in the last year.

Any person employed as a full-time teacher by a school district in Oklahoma in the five (5) years immediately preceding an application for employment as a substitute teacher may not be required to have a national criminal history record check, if the teacher produces a copy of a national criminal history record check completed within the preceding five (5) years and a letter from the school district in which the teacher was last employed stating the teacher left in good standing.

Any person who has been employed as a full-time teacher by a school district who applies for employment as a fulltime teacher in another school district may not be required to have a national criminal history background check completed if the teacher produces a copy of a national criminal history record check completed within the preceding five (5) years and a letter from the school district in which the teacher was employed stating the teacher left in good standing.

Any person who has been employed as a substitute teacher by a school for a minimum of five (5) years preceding an application to be employed as a full-time teacher may not be required to have a national criminal history record check completed if the teacher can produce a copy of a national criminal history record check completed within the preceding five (5) years and a letter from the school district in which the teacher was employed as a substitute teacher stating that the teacher left in good standing.

Any person employed as a full-time teacher by a school district in Oklahoma for ten (10) or more consecutive years immediately preceding an application for employment as a substitute teacher in the same school district is not required to have a national criminal history record check for as long as that person remains employed for consecutive years by that school. If the substitute teacher wishes to work in another Oklahoma school district, a national criminal history background check will be required.

If the applicant for employment meets all other criteria for employment in this school district, the applicant may be employed on a temporary basis for a maximum of sixty (60) days pending receipt of the national criminal history record check results. The temporary employment of the prospective employee shall terminate after sixty (60) days unless the school district receives the results of the national criminal history records check. The sixty (60) day temporary employment period shall begin on the first day the prospective employee reports for duty at the employing school district. If the applicant is offered permanent employment following the review of the records search, the search fee will/will not be reimbursed in full.

Legal Citations

The qualifications and procedures outlined in this policy are based upon the following Oklahoma Statutes (O.S.):

• 70 O.S. §5-142