The Michigan Department of Education is not adequately checking into the background and criminal history of contracted employees in the state’s public school system, an audit found.
A recently released report from the Office of the Auditor General determined the department did not properly monitor whether school districts were fingerprinting new hires and monitoring for criminal convictions as required by state law.
“The deficiency in obtaining individuals’ fingerprints is particularly concerning because the school districts would neither have FBI fingerprint-based criminal history information at the time of hire, nor be notified of criminal convictions after hire,” the audit states.
The audit estimated roughly 220 staff members, 4%, of the 5,010 contracted staff in the 41 districts surveyed were were never fingerprinted for employment. None, however, were listed in the sex offender registry, which would automatically bar anyone from school employment.
Three of 45 sampled staff, it also found, were not fingerprinted in a timely manner. In one case, it took 10 years. Five others had “serious criminal convictions,” but the education department did take “appropriate actions” later, the report found.
The education department, Michigan State Police and local school districts work in tandem to process the fingerprints and criminal records of any potential school employees.
These responsibilities are “designed to protect Michigan’s school children,” the report states, include...
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