The state Department of Education has notified public and charter school officials that school board members and charter school trustees who have not registered for the new criminal background check will be removed from office.
An Oct. 11 letter sent to chief school administrators by Robert J. Cicchino, Director of the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance, said all of the registrations should be complete. He asked school officials to confirm that their board members or trustees have complied, and to send the names of those who have not to the state, which will notify them that they are no longer eligible to serve on the board.
The New Jersey School Boards Association posted the memo and a reminder on its website and online newsletter Thursday, noting that as of Oct. 12 only about half of the more than 4,000 school board members and charter school trustees in the state had registered and scheduled appointments for the required fingerprinting.
Frank Belluscio, spokesman for the NJSBA, said some board members have reported difficulty using the online registration system. He said the lack of a firm deadline for completing the process also made it seem less urgent.
“Some of it may just be a communication issue,” he said. “It is more effective to set a deadline. But this is a law, and all members must comply.”
The bill requiring the background checks and prohibiting citizens with criminal backgrounds from serving on public or charter school boards was signed into law May 26. The law gives board members 30 days to comply. But the state Department of Education needed some time to prepare, and board members were not required to begin the process until July. The state did not set a firm deadline for compliance since summer is typically the busiest time for background checks as new school employees also complete the process. A second reminder was sent to districts in August.
Local school officials contacted Thursday reported mixed results.
Hammonton school superintendent C. Dan Blachford said all of theirs are complete.
Vineland school spokesman John Sbrana said all board members had completed the process but one report was still outstanding.
Kateryna Bechtel, business administrator in Egg Harbor Township, said at least one board member had difficulty with the online registration system. She said she knows at least three of the nine members have completed the process and she sent out a reminder Thursday asking members to update her of their status.
Belluscio said the NJSBA will also send email reminders to all members stressing the urgency of completing the process. The state memo said board members would be considered in compliance if they had either an approval letter or a receipt showing that they had scheduled an appointment to be fingerprinted.
Board members must pay for their own fingerprinting, but the law does allow them to use funds from their election campaigns. Local school boards can also pass a resolution to reimburse members the $85 cost.
http://liarcatchers.com/background_checks.html
The October state memo does not set a specific deadline for school officials to submit the compliance information to the state. Department of Education spokesperson Allison Kobus said in an email that while the law is new, and there were some delays in the startup, the state is committed to working with the NJSBA and district officials to assure that all board members complete the process.
So far five board members have been removed because of prior criminal records, including George Crouch of Atlantic City who had a 1992 drug-related conviction.
Contact Diane D’Amico:
609-272-7241
