On Wednesday, March 18, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) published a broadcast memo announcing that the Office of Student Safety and School Preparedness, in collaboration with the Office of Student Protection and the Office of School Bus Safety, will be hosting its fourth annual two-part training program. This training is designed to strengthen alignment between criminal history record check requirements and school bus safety regulations, two critical pillars of student protection.

Participants will review procedures for submitting fingerprints through IdentoGO’s LiveScan technology, which is crucial for obtaining timely criminal history record check results. The training will also feature essential aspects of school bus safety, including credentialing, incident reporting, and compliance and enforcement strategies. Below is a snapshot of the topics that will be covered during the training series:

Part 1: Office of Student Protection

  • Evolution and development of the Criminal History Record Check process
  • Overview of legal requirements for school staff background checks
  • Disqualification criteria linked to criminal records
  • Comparison of Criminal History Record Check types
  • Step-by-step guide to the IdentoGO application process
  • Follow-up procedures for newly arrested, previously approved employees

Part 2: Office of School Bus Safety

  • Office of School Bus Safety training
  • Details on suspensions, demotions, and fines for violations by bus entities
  • Enforcement strategy and process relative to disqualification and prohibition
  • Recommended strategies for school districts, transportation coordinators, county superintendents, contractors, and bus drivers

There is no fee to attend this training; however, pre-registration is mandatory. Participants may register for venues closest to their home or work location. Attendance from district administrators, transportation coordinators, human resource personnel, county offices, and private school bus contractors is strongly encouraged to ensure consistent implementation of safety standards statewide.

The list of training locations and registration links are located at the bottom of NJDOE’s broadcast memo.

For questions regarding the Criminal History Record Check Training Program, please contact Marisol Medina at Marisol.medina@doe.nj.gov or call (609) 376-3643.