Criminal background checks are being increasingly required by school districts for volunteers and pre-service teacher candidates before they are placed in school buildings. Volunteers and pre-service teacher candidates will need to provide social security number, birth date and other personal information in order to complete a criminal background check. There are fees for these checks for which students are responsible. Fee amounts vary from district to district, ranging from $5 to $55.
Criminal background checks are also required for student teaching and licensure. These checks are often more extensive; therefore, requiring more information and higher fees. At the time of licensure, the state requires fingerprinting by a designated official. To complete this process can cost up to $100. Again, these fees are the responsibility of the teacher candidate.