APPLICANTS AND EMPLOYEES
To ensure the safety and welfare of students and staff, all new employees, including but not limited to teachers, substitute teachers, instructors, and coaches, must consent to a fingerprint and criminal history background check as a condition of employment.  According to TCA 37-1-414, an educational agency is authorized to require this information. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation provides this service through a third party. The cost of this service will be incurred by LCS for all employees that work with students. The process will be communicated to the new employees each year, and results will be sent to HR. Employment may be denied for an unfavorable report.

Volunteers must also consent to a fingerprint and criminal history background check as a condition of volunteering. Cost for this service will be incurred by the volunteer. Volunteers may be denied for an unfavorable report.

Background checks shall be required of these employees and volunteers at least once ever five (5) years after the date of hire.

USE AND DISSEMINATION
Fingerprints or other approved forms of positive identification shall be submitted with all requests for criminal history record checks for non-criminal justice purposes.  The superintendent shall ensure the Originating Agency Identifier number is on file at all times.

Tennessee and FBI Criminal History Record Information ('CHRI") obtained by the agency shall solely be used to verify criminal violations(s) and shall not be disseminated.  Results shall be considered confidential and only accessible to personnel identified by the superintendent.  CHRI shall only be accessed by authorized personnel in the performance of their duties and shall never be released to the public.

All persons directly associated with the accessing, maintaining, processing, dissemination, or destruction of CHRI shall sign an awareness statement and shall indicate that they have been specially trained on the subject.  The training shall provide those with access to CHRI with a working knowledge of federal and state regulations and laws governing the security and processing of criminal history information.  The superintendent is responsible for ensuring that authorized personnel receive such training within sixty (60) days of employment.

RENTENTION AND SECURITY
The Superintendent shall develop procedures to ensure CHRI is stored in a secure location.  Areas in which CHRI is processed and handled shall be restricted to authorized personnel identified by the Superintendent.  The area shall be out of the view of the public and unauthorized personnel.  The Superintendent shall maintain a list of all employees who have access to, can process, disseminate, and/or destroy CHRI. 

DISPOSAL OF CHRI
When CHRI is no longer needed, it shall be destroyed by shredding rending the information unreadable.  Record destruction shall be conducted under the supervision of the Superintendent.

MISUSE
Employees who misuse CHRI or violate this policy shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.  Any employee with knowledge of misuse shall immediately report a violation to the superintendent.

VOLUNTEERS/VENDORS
Lakeway Christian Schools has updated background check requirements. These new requirements meet or exceed the State Board of Education policy for Category II Non-Public Schools and are listed within this document. If you have questions regarding them, there are points of contact listed for each school. All non-employee individuals who require a background check will be responsible for all costs associated with required background checks.   
 
FBI/TBI Criminal Background Check Required Every 5 Years: 

• Employees 
• Contracted service providers 
• Non-employee volunteers (Coaches, mentors, tutors, etc.)  
• Classroom volunteers (Room mom, reading with children, completing bulletin boards, copying, etc.)  
• Student teachers, Practicum students from approved universities  
• Any adult supervising students on a field trip 
• Any adult participating in a school-sponsored overnight trip 

 
FBI/TBI Criminal Background Check NOT Required:  

• Adults eating lunch with their child  
• Adults attending a field trip with their child, but not supervising other children 
• Grade level or school-wide chapel 
• School-wide Events 
• Classroom Events 
• Guest speakers  
• Event based volunteers (Grandparents Day, Homecoming, Spring Gala, County Fair, etc.)  

 
Visitors During School Hours Requirements: 

• Must check-in at the front office prior to entering the building 
• Present state issued identification for background screening 
• Must wear identification badge provided upon check-in