Trenton, NJ – A new state law will require school board members in New Jersey to undergo criminal background checks and bar those convicted of certain crimes from serving.
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The legislation, which was signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie last week, would disqualify board members convicted of any first- or second-degree crimes, fourth-degree crimes involving minors, and other offenses such as drug possession and distribution, robbery, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, burglary, perjury and bias intimidation.
The law requires new school board members to undergo a criminal history background check within 30 days of being elected or appointed. Current board members must undergo a check within 30 days after the bill takes effect.
The cost of the check will be the responsibility of school board members, but boards have the option of passing a resolution permitting members to be reimbursed by the school district.
The checks are expected to cost between $85 and $90, said Frank Belluscio, spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association, which lobbied for a reimbursement option.
“We thought that was important because board members are not paid employees, yet they devote a lot of time to their responsibilities,” Belluscio said.
Continue to read a phillyburbs
It’s ridiculous that something that should be a matter of common sense has to become a law in order for anyone to do something.
This new requirement may eliminate or screen out many of the frum candidates who have been running for school boards in districts which are largely minority but where the the majority of the poplulation send their kids to yeshivot but still pay school (real estate) taxes.
NY will be the last state to approve this. And it won’t happen for another 30 years. Until then, we will have to do our own policing.