The school board representatives, meeting as the NJSBA Delegate Assembly, approved a resolution calling for criminal history checks to be extended to student teachers and interns.

Under current state law enacted in 1986, teachers and other school employees are required to undergo pre-employment criminal background checks by the FBI and State Police. Interns and student teachers, however, are considered “volunteers,” who are exempt under the law.

The Marlboro Board of Education submitted the proposal, noting that college students who work in public schools as part of their undergraduate and graduate programs may be left alone, even if temporarily, with students. With the Delegate Assembly’s approval of the Marlboro resolution, NJSBA will seek changes in the state law.

“The cost for a nationwide criminal background check is currently $73, which the applicant typically pays,” said Glenn B. Ewan, NJSBA president. “That’s less than the cost of a typical textbook, and it’s certainly a small price to pay for student safety.”

“We feel that if these criminal history reviews are not being done, we have not done all that we can,” said Joseph Waldman, the representative from the Marlboro Board of Education. “When it comes to interns and student teachers, there are not very many places a district can turn to in order to obtain references. But we can at least be sure we do not hire a convicted criminal in error.”

Currently, school boards may require State Police criminal background checks for interns and student teachers, but those checks only identify criminal histories in New Jersey—not nationally.

Other Action In other business, the school board representatives voted on a resolution calling on NJSBA to join lobbying efforts to control the cost of employee medical care costs. The measure was proposed by the Montclair Board of Education, one of many districts grappling with rising costs.

According to NJSBA, the cost of family coverage in the State Health Benefits Plan has risen 43 percent from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2003. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Labor notes that health care has increased 22 percent from June 2000 to June 2002.

School board representatives also called for NJSBA to conduct a study into the issue of busing costs for non-public school students. The issue, raised by the Bloomfield Board of Education, deals with adequate state reimbursement for providing transportation to non-public students. Public school districts that provide busing to their students are also required to bus students, or provide transportation expenses, to students attending private schools. The results of NJSBA’s study will be reported to the November 2003 Delegate Assembly.