Background Check On A Schoolteacher In Utah
Different states have laws providing for mandatory background checks for certain types of jobs and professional activities. In the state of Utah these include in part armed security officers, pharmacists, nurses, massage therapists, and schoolteachers, as well as many other responsible positions that might involve personal safety of their client’s or of other potentially vulnerable groups of people they might be dealing with in course of them performing their professional duties. 
Special attention is given in the state to school teacher background check. 10 years ago the Utah’s Legislature enacted a law ordering the state’s Public Safety Department together with the state of Utah Education Office to join the efforts towards compiling a special database of criminal and police records so it would allow a quick background check on any person applying for a teacher’s job within the jurisdiction, as well as on existing schoolteachers to ensure that none person with criminal history is allowed to work with pupils.
Anyway, the said database failed to have been compiled up to date, therefore teachers and other personnel at Utah schools have to pass background check at their own expense. The current the one time fee paid by those who submit to this sort of background check that involves fingerprinting, constitutes $ 70. And it is to passed over and over again each time the teacher needs to be re-licensed.
Probably routine background check on teachers does make sense, considering that a random research has shown that approximately 15 out of 1000 Utah’s teachers or school employees had a couple of years old record of criminal offence, which they committed between the regular fingerprints based background screening they are mandated to submit.