When you’re applying for a position in a school there’s a good chance that you’ll have to go through a background check process. After all, any environment with children needs to be safe and secure. That said, if something happened more than two decades ago, you might be curious if it can still show up on a background check or if it may impact your chances of being hired. Thankfully, we’re here to help.
So, how far does a school background check go? The short answer is that it’s around seven years but this can change based on where you live, the type of background check, and much more. Read on to learn more.
What Is a School Background Check?
A school background check is a type of background check that educational institutions run on people who will work for the school. This applies to teachers, faculty, and other school staff members. Most school background checks verify someone’s education history including schools attended, degrees earned, and even graduation dates.
School background checks will also verify someone’s criminal record and look for misdemeanors or felonies that are red flags for working around children. Most school background checks will also check the sex offender registry and employment history. References and social media checks are also common for teachers and other staff members.
Overall, school background checks are similar to your average background check, just with more of a focus on education history.
How Far Back Does a School Background Check Go?
School background checks tend to go back seven years in most cases. This is due to look-back periods that don’t permit background checks to pull records that are more than seven years old.
That said, there are some factors that influence how far back they can go because in some cases school background checks might be able to view someone’s extended history. Learn more about these factors below.
Felony Convictions and Sex Offenses
One of the biggest factors that determines how far back a school background check can go depends on someone’s criminal history. While misdemeanors and violations won’t be available after seven years in most states, the same rule doesn’t apply to felonies and sex offenses. Most felonies and sex offenses will show up on school background checks until they’re sealed, but in the case of violent felonies and sex offenses, this may not be possible.
School Background Check Laws in Your State
Where you live also plays a role in how far back school background checks go. For example, the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) limits how long adverse information can be reported in New York – typically, it’s seven years.
That said, some states may have different laws or have their own version of the FCRA. Therefore, it’s important to check with your state’s laws, sometimes even at the county level, to know how far back a school background check goes.
The Position
School background checks are pretty standard for teachers and other faculty members, but more intensive checks may be run on school social workers, principals, and other high-level positions. For example, these checks may go beyond the seven-year look-back period and may include financial records, social media profiles, and much more. If you’re already a teacher and moving into an administrative level you may have to go through another background check process as well.
How to See What Shows Up on a School Background Check
If you want to see what will show up on a school background check before you apply, the best way to do so is to leverage a reliable public records search tool. PublicRecord.com’s public records search tool is our top choice because it combs through millions of public databases in a matter of minutes for the best possible accuracy.
Then, the information is compiled into a comprehensive full report that includes all available public records. You can scan through your records to check for felonies, misdemeanors, and other records to see what can potentially show up. What’s more, you can check the dates to see if you’re within the seven-year look-back period.
Prepare How Far Back Does a School Background Check Go
The best way to prepare for an upcoming school background check is to know what will show up during the background check process, and Publicrecord.com has you covered there. Simply enter your name, city, and state to get started.
Aside from knowing what shows up, check your state laws to see if there is a look-back period and if you’re applying for a high-level position make sure you know what type of background check you’re walking into.