Can Public School Require Parent's Fingerprints?

I have nothing to hide, but I do value my 4th Amendment rights. IF I do something wrong, they have the right to print me at the time of my arrest. Unless I do soemthing wrong, they have no right to my fingerprints, my DNA, or even my shoe size.

How laughable. To think, fingerprinting people is going to keep out the loonies. Don't worry, pretty soon we will all be micro chipped and the world will be a safer place.....Big Brother is here to stay

Do you want them to find the convicted child molester who's volunteering?

I don't see anything wrong with this. I think you might be over reacting a little. They are doing this to keep your kids safe

The law has nothing to do with it, you want to be around kids, other peoples kids. Then you WILL get fingerprinted.
The schools response would be "thanks, but we won't be needing your help this year". If you're ok with that….

I don't mind people working with my kid being thoroughly checked out, including fingerprints. Do you know how many people lie about who they are? Whatever, I have nothing to hide. Take my fingerprints. Keep my kids safe from known bad people. There are plenty of bad people we don't know about, let's at least keep tabs on the known ones trying to hurt people.

A reputable company is hired to do this sort of things. They don't have the principle sitting there with construction paper and an ink pad. Measures are taken, to preserve privacy.

ETA: I'm not talking about people who force their way into a school with weapons. Let's not get hysterical people. Fingerprints aren't happening, because of those people. I'm talking about the people requesting to work with children in a classroom, and volunteer with the school. No one thinks fingerprints are going to stop crazy people with guns, and that's not why parents are being fingerprinted.

What makes you think the principal is doing the fingerprinting? We have to get background chekcs and fingerprints every three years to volunteer at my kids school. It's a pain but well worth it to be assured there are no convicted child molesters or repeat DUI offenders driving and interacting with my children.

You sound a little paranoid.

ETA: The PRINCIPAL is doing this? No. I would not submit to a PRINCIPAL doing it - I would for a qualified/licensed fingerprinter.
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If you are volunteering or working with kids - they finger print and do a background check to ensure you (meaning collective - not you personally) are not the sex offender list or criminal record (kidnapping).

As Conservative as I am - I don't mind this for parents. Would I mind if they fingerprinted my CHILD/REN without my permission? You bet your bottom dollar I would have a world class conniption fit! :)

Otherwise? Nope. Don't have a problem having a background check done. I don't have anything to hide. If you don't like it - refuse. It's your right.

It depends on your state laws. In Massachusetts, we have something called CORI, which is a database of criminal offenses. To volunteer at school (or for sports, church, etc.) or go on a field trip, you have to have current CORI clearance. You have to fill out a short form and they take a copy of your driver's license, then send the info into the people who run CORI and make sure you're clear. Clearance is good for 2 years and doesn't transfer among organizations - e.g., I have CORIs for 3 schools, 2 churches and my teaching/tutoring job.

Fingerprinting does seem a bit more invasive but the intent is the same, which is to make sure that your children aren't unsupervised around predators. It may very well be that in your state, fingerprinting is the established best practice.

ETA: Yes it is legal in your state:
http://www.isbe.net/pdf/guidance_chr.pdf

"Volunteers and parent chaperones are not subject to this fingerprint CHRI check requirement, but a school district may require a volunteer or parent chaperone to submit to a background check, where appropriate, under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA) or the Adam Walsh Act, per district policy. (For more information on the UCIA and the Adam Walsh Act, see Section VII below). In such cases, ISBE recommends the district conduct a fingerprint-based CHRI check over a name-based CHRI check."

Most school here you want to work with the kids you get fingerprinted and a background check. What is the big deal, it isn't like they are going to find anything in my background?

Volunteering at a school it not a right. If you want to do it you have to prove the children are safe around you.

If they required you to be finger printed just for your children to go to the school then they would have legal issues.

Don't like it, don't volunteer. I have never met a soul who had a problem with it.

They are trying their darndest these days to keep our kids safe at our schools on all fronts...from the inside, out.

Yes..we have to fill out paperwork and get finger printed to work in the classroom. To me, it is more of a nuisance to have to re new every three years. But, I understand the need so I do it. I don't look at it as a "Big Brother" move at all. Just a safety measure.

We also can not bring in homemade treats for birthdays or class parties. Must be pre packaged,safety sealed treat under 190 calories.

This fingerprinting is only a requirement to work in the classroom...you don't have to be fingerprinted to have a child in the school. There is a difference in the angle there with legality.

Working with children, driving children on field trips opens up a variety of situations for children's physical and emotional safety to be compromised. They aren't worried about YOU or trying to take away your rights...it is to keep out the pervs and criminals from preying on young,innocent and defenseless little ones.

Go get fingerprinted and enjoy serving your school community. We need more parental involvement...it makes our schools thrive. It also raises the statistic that your own child will do well in school.

Good luck and best wishes!!

I am not a lawyer or authority regarding fingerprinting so I do not know the legality of this process.

However, at our schools, EVERY parent or adult that is a volunteer, field trip chaperone, or has anything to do around the children are required to have a yearly background check before they can be involved inside the school. I personally have no issue with this safety aspect.

When a parent or volunteer enters the school the first time of the year, the DL is swiped and put into the system and you are to wear a nametag with your photo on it at all times while at the school and when you leave, you turn in the tag to the receptionist.

Maybe fingerprinting is going too far for some but I don't have an issue with it... I have nothing to hide from the law and I want children safe.

I am also a substitute teacher and have been going on 12 yrs. Our fingerprints are on file with the school system.

In AZ, if there is the possibility of an adult being alone with a child, that adult must have a fingerprint clearance card. Check what IL law says, but it's not an unreasonable expectation.

I think the real question here is: Is it necessary to collect the fingerprints of parents who volunteer at the school?

I can understand a background check completed by the local highway patrol office, and I can even see law enforcement completing a fingerprint card as a part of that check...but only the results of that check should be released to the school. There's no reason for a database to be kept by the district or school.

What do you have to hide?

With the school shootings, and the ISU bomb threat (all in the last 24 hr in our area).. really you are questioning this? I think any person that any school is going to put in contact with my child should be checked out. If you have a problem, then don't volunteer. This is one more step in trying to protect our kids. I agree with it. I will be asking my sons teacher on Friday if they do this.

Sounds like the princpal is trying to take saftey to the next step. Kudos to him/her.

It's a privacy and civil liberties issue, not just a safety one. Plenty of people have nothing to hide, but don't necessarily want their fingerprints on file for all eternity in a government data base. I doubt this is legal in a public school, and I would really be surprised if this becomes an actuality. I would contact a local attorney and just ask about it. Background checks are one thing, and should be completed for all volunteers in our kids schools, but a database of parent's finger prints? I don't think it'll happen. Call Fox News, they'll probably run a prime time story on it...

Our schools are now requiring that any parent volunteer be fingerprinted. I'm fairly certain they can do that; to me, it's like an employer running a background check.

I can tell you that at my daughter's school (when she was in Pre-K but it goes to 8th) any parent that was going to chaperone a trip, work with the kids in the class/volunteer in the class, etc had to have a back ground check through a private company (did not require finger printing) and we had to pay for it. We could attend a class party or performance without it but not actually work with the kids without it. My only problem with it was that I could rarely do it (do to work) and hated to spend the money and not be able to help anyway and when I was not working, I really didn't have the extra money to spend but did anyway.

In our current school, I believe to chaperone etc you also have to have a background check and I believe it does require fingerprinting.

The way I see it is, they are trying to insure the safety of the kids (mine included). While I know I am not a threat, I don't personally know all the others nor do they know me. It reassures me as a parent that they are taking steps to keep my daughter safe. Piece of mind is worht a fingerpint IMO.

I have nothing to hide and it does bother me! They already require a thumb print at the DMV to get your license renewed. We have to present that at the check in and they require a background check to volunteer.

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

The guy who did the shooting in Conn.didnt have his finger prints on file.
It's not the reason he got in. It's not going to make them safer than just a background check and common sense..guess it's the latter that's lacking.

At my childrens school you must be fingerprinted and attend a class called protecting Gods children before you can do anything inside the school. They run your prints to see if you had any offenses that had to do with children.

As some of you know i a recovering addict (18 years clean and sober) however in my active addiction i did have a run in or two with the law. I still had no problems with them running my prints. i have nothing to hide and i make no secret of my past as it is a link to my present. I also know that any troubles i have had, had nothing to do with children.

I sit on the PTO and am very active in my childrens school. anyway my point is i dont see anything wrong with all of that. If you have nothing to hide it should not be a problem and if you do have something to hide then either address it or quit volunteering.

many blessings

At our school a volunteer has to sign to have a background check done every year. To me I don't see a big difference if the school wanted my fingerprints in addition. I have nothing to hide and we need to keep our kids safe! There must be some type of information they can get to with fingerprints that they can't with a background check???

We had to be fingerprinted to volunteer in our public schools.
It is what it is.

I had to have three background checks to substitute teach a few years ago, including the FBI fingerprint check. I think anyone who works with kids should have these done, even volunteers. Our charter school requires them for parents volunteering, but our public school does not, although they are happy that I have mine on file. They are legally allowed to require any appropriate background checks to work with children, like it or not.

If I were you, I'd talk to the ACLU. If you don't, they will tell you that you can't come to the school. That will be their way to strong-arm you into it.

I simply cannot fathom WHY they would want your fingerprints on file. Driver's license, yes. (They can make sure that no one coming into the school has been charged with a sex crime against children.) Fingerprints, no.

All volunteers have to submit to a background check at my daughter's school. I am totally on board with this. However, I would have a problem being fingerprinted. I'm not sure on the legality of it, but I would be finding out if I was you. How will those records be stored, who will have access to them and why? I (knock on wood) have never had any encounters with the law. That doesn't mean I want my fingerprints in system.

When I volunteered at my daughters school (private in FL). I had to have a background check and be fingerprinted.

I see no problem with this since it could help keep the children safe. I assume they are checking the prints for any existing or past crimes.

I was tutoring a few kids in math and was unsupervised, I was also able to be a chaperone class trips.

I anot sur about legality for the parents, but I would assume that the principal is not the one doing the printing. I would ask, but usually when you have to get fingerprinted for a school, it is done electronically by professionals (not ink and a card like back in the day), so there is no card storage in files anywhere. It goes into a database that checks it it is appropriate for you to be around other people's children. My dad had to get fingerprinted every so often just in case he had to work at a school (he was a phone repair man) and I had to for the credential program at my university. The same company fingerprinted both of us, along with police and some others. This was in Los Angeles county.

I don't think this should be a problem. Anyone working with children in any capacity should be fingerprinted and vetted. My husband is an electrician and if works in a school setting he has to have a background check in place. I volunteer at school a lot and had to have a class called all gods children before being allowed to be in the classroom with kids. It is for the children safety. It will pull from the woodwork anyone who has a pedophile charge on file. why would you not want this safety measure for your children?

ok just read your so what happened. I would not submit to this as a haphazard thing. It should be done professionally the police dept usually handles this. When I did home daycare and through the school both we had to go to the board of education building to get this done. It was not just stick thumb in an ink blot at the school.

I think that I'd call an attorney that might do a free 30 minute consultation. There are still some that offer that option.

As a "in group" sort of person you might also be able to find out if the school district has an attorney on retainer. You could call that office as an official representative of the parents group and you are concerned with the legalities of requiring this type of legal thing that is usually only done by those with direct "alone" time/contact with kids.

If the parents are required to do this then it's going to cause an uproar when they start lining up at the police station to do this and then have to pay out of pocket for the pleasure of doing it.

The state pays for those going to foster parent classes so ours were free. When someone I know had to do this for a job they had to pay out of pocket because it was part of the application process for that particular job.

This is not something "big brother" should be doing. Parents who are in the building helping out should never be alone with a child other than their own.

I did not have time to read through the responses, but here in the
Austin ISD, each and every visitor must show their Photo ID every time they enter the schools, it is the run through the "Raptor system."

I assume this is like finger prints, but it uses the drivers licenses or Personal ID's.. to check people on this registry..

Raptor.
Nation's Leading K-12 Visitor Management Software

Raptor instantly screens out registered sex offenders from campuses with children while managing custody issues, visitors, students, faculty and volunteers. Over 8,000 schools and facilities nationwide already rely on Raptor's web-based technology to keep students safe.

I do not believe this program states the actual reason, but instead send out a contact number the person can call if they feel it is not correct, but it also immediately contacts the authorities that this person was attempting to enter a campus. There are parents that because of this are not allowed on campus. They are aware of the reasons.

I am sure it is not a perfect system, but I have no problems handing over my ID to protect children.

It is my understanding that they can require that you get a background check that includes fingerprinting if you volunteer with students, for example as a room mom. In our state the state patrol is responsible for these background checks and they either send a kit to HR to do it or you can go to an office to do it.

I personally think it is fine to submit to a background check if you are going to work with kids. I have to do it for my job and I expect that everyone working with DD is background checked as well. In our school district this is a district wide policy.

Now... if the principal doesn't actually want to run professional background checks, but just fingerprints parents for the heck of it, I would take issue with that as well. If I was in your position I would agree to a professional background check - but not to any shenanigans this principal has cooked up.

Good luck.

Fingerprinting is not the same as running a background check. Are they so worried about false parental identities that they are going to run everything through a fingerprint database? Can the school support the cost of that?

ETA: Interesting to read the other answers. I have no problem with being fingerprinted, and I hadn't heard about unsupervised volunteers being fingerprinted before.

I don't think I would make a fuss about it, but I may have been fingerprinted for other background checks and just forgot.

My kid's school is requiring background checks and TB testing. I find it annoying. I have volunteered at my kids school for 11 years now and am not left alone with the kids anyway. Honestly, I would take my chances that a parent of another student is safe to be with my child at a school event. Some may find my answer naive but I think parents will only have a false sense of security because someone passed a background check. The number of offenders probably far exceeds though caught and have a criminal back ground.

We have the "Jessica Lunsford" act here in Florida. Named and created after a little girl was molested and killed several years ago. It involves answering questions online, giving your social and other info. No fingerprints at the public school level. I did have to be fingerprinted for a private preschool if I wanted to volunteer. I had no problem with that. There is a choice. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Get fingerprinted, or don't volunteer. I don't see the problem.

If you volunteer with our school, it requires a background check. Don't know about the fingerprints, but some background checks have that as part of it, so it could be the service they use. Honestly, if I were working in a sensitive profession, like with kids, I would want stringent background checks in place.

I would ask, because as you said, the VP mentioned it, but it's not released as procedure yet. Ask questions.

Want to work in schools, paid or unpaid, you are fingerprinted.

i'm with you.
insanity.
and yet another good reason to homeschool.
khairete
S.

We have to do background checks. They are good for 5 years. I am not sure if we had to be fingerprinted, but I don't think so.

If they check the status of our clearances (for those who have them) they will get our prints that way.

I think it's unnecessary and no measure is going to stop the crazies, but if it was required to go on field trips or volunteer in my kids class, I'd do it.

I volunteered at my daughters' Catholic School in California and this was required. It's also required if you are an adult involved with girl scouts. I also worked at a school, and, of course it was required.

if you enter a school during school hours that facility CAN require a fingerprint background check to be done for safety reasons
USUALLY they only do this for staff, substitutes, etc. but they can technically require it for anyone having access to the children in any way during the school day.

Think of it this way - what if a parent was a convicted sex offender? And they volunteer to help at say the Halloween party and take the boys into the bathroom to get into their costumes... you see where I am going? The ONLY way to screen people going into the school is through fingerprinting. Sorry.

A decision like that has to be a security policy from the school board, not just what one principal wants to do. I would talk to the police to see what your rights and violations would be.

At our school, when you volunteer or enter the school for a visit you have to show our driver's license when we sign in. It is scanned in to the computer and a visitor's sticker, with our name and DL picture on it is printed out. We have to turn it back in when we sign out in order to get our DL back.

Our local pulbic schools require a background check of anyone doing anything with the students, like helping at events, field trips, etc.

Parents have been warned to be sure to sign up EARLY to get the background check done..... I don't know how long it takes, but it isn't usually an overnight process.

I would be a bit apprehensive about this. My children's school does do background checks. Are the fingerprints done and maintained by an outside company? Where are the fingerprints stored?

Catholic schools do this and I believe most government agencies that work with children do too. I have worked as a sub and teacher's aide and we had to be fingerprinted and background checked. It is to protect the children. This is likely just an extension of that. Why not ask him? Get more information. It may put your mind at ease.

All you have to do is, contact your district's District Office, OR contact the Superintendent of the Department of Education.
And check with them on it.

Now, per fingerprinting, say the Principal does require fingerprinting. BUT then, so... it also has to be kept on file either via computer or on paper, it would also therefore mean the school has to have a whole filing system, on the PARENTS too etc., and how are they going to then "background" check the fingerprints???

I work at my kids' school. As Staff. As a part of the EMPLOYMENT process and requirements, I had to be, F.B.I Fingerprinted AND background checked. Because I would be working with children. This is required of all, school Staff/employees. The fingerprinting, was not just an ink-pad and then fingerprints on a paper. It was done, via COMPUTER and in a computer system. Digitally. AND thus, the background check was also via, proprietary computer programs and computer systems, AND also includes, via law, adherence to PRIVACY laws, as well, etc. Only certain Staff, can do the fingerprinting as well and/or the background checking process.

AND, if something like this is "required" by the Principal, then, yes, any information/consent forms etc., must be sent to the parents.

You can also choose to ask you own Lawyer about this.

MANY schools, and preschools, require background checks and/or fingerprinting of the adults who are on campus and its Volunteers.
But since this is a public school, of which its Principal is talking about instituting this rule, then, I would think that it would need to be cleared and okayed, by the Department... of Education. Not on a school to school basis.

And even if the fingerprinting is required by the Principal, it is also a choice. If you want to work/volunteer/assist on Campus, then sure, things like this are often required.

My sons school requires them for volunteers. I haven't had to redo mine yet because I carried over the ones I had from working childcare, its good for 5 years. I just had to rerun a background check
Added: regular background checks are more so for local police departments where fingerprints check nationwide/FBI

I understand your position and your feelings; you are not wrong, but thinking of the world we are living right know, and taking into account so many problems happening under our nose, it is probably something important to do; just make sure that these safety measures are being taken correctly by responsible people; and yes, you have the right also to ask lots of questions and have the right answers (legalities).
On the other hand, It is sad and annoying, everything seems to be so "normal" these days. The world has changed, people has changed.

A. :)

Yes in our local public school district, anybody who volunteers with kids or works with kids in any capacity has to be fingerprinted. Oh, wait I see you're in Streamwood. You're probably in the same school district as I am. U-46. Yes, they are just trying to keep kids safe. Just about everybody I know has been fingerprinted. But not by the school.... by local police.

If it is for parent volunteers it probably isn't illegal. I think almost all schools now do background checks on all people who volunteer and work with students. Fingerprinting would be a part of that. I am a teacher who supervises an Americorp volunteer who tutors students in reading. This week I had to be fingerprinted because background checks are required of everyone involved in the program. It is not a "big brother thing." It is for the safety of the kids. There are even schools in our state who fingerprint all of their kindergarten kids and new students who start attending the school. Not sure why.

I had to do it last year along with a TB test to make sure I'm not a typhoid Mary or something. I didn't mind really. But then again, it was normal for me from the get go, not something sprung on me after years of doing it another way. My kid just entered the school system last year and it was just one more thing to do amid all the other piles of paperwork to fill out and tests to take. Had I been used to coming and going without having the printing done, I probably would be miffed at the change.

The school paid for it, just like they paid for the TB test. I went to a special office near the courthouses and other official city buildings and had it done there. They didn't use ink. I had to jell up my hand with this goo and then let the lady press my fingers and then full hand on a glass plate attached to something that looked like a copy machine. My fingers showed up on a computer digitally. It was actually kind of neat to watch.

It is part of the times. If you want to help or do anything with children you have to have your fingerprints taken. Who pays? Depends on the school district or you do.

When I worked in local police department records section, teachers were always coming in to have their fingerprints taken and they would pay for their prints. The printing of the kindergarten children is have a set of prints on file in case something did happen. We would have days set up where the kids would have their photo and prints taken and mom and dad could take them home and file them away.

We cannot compare our system to another country and what they do with their children. Speak with the school and get a clear definition as to what and why they are doing what they are doing.

the other S.