The Senate prefers educators and support staff pay the $50 fee, while the House Education Committee voted to give local school boards the option of picking up the tab.
In addition, the Senate version mandates Kansas’ one-half dozen “innovative” school districts, which don’t have to abide by state laws and regulations, pay the fee rather than teachers. The House panel concluded Thursday all 35,000 certified educators and 27,000 nonlicensed employees working in districts statewide should be treated the same.
Rep. Carolyn Bridges, D-Wichita, said requiring background checks was prudent, but the Senate’s plan to impose the entire $3 million cost on teachers and other employees would be a mistake. She also raised questions about why the bill was silent on the legion of volunteers and college students involved with children in the K-12 public schools.
In 2002, Kansas initiated a program of fingerprinting new hires in public school districts. The reform bill would subject veteran employees who started before that date to the same Kansas Bureau of Investigation scrutiny applicable to their peers.
Read More: http://cjonline.com/news/state/2015-03-20/house-adds-fingerprints-senates-k-12-background-check-bill