MCPS Background Screening Process Update
We are writing to follow up on an important news story regarding the background screening at MCPS (in case you missed it - message from the Superintendent on Aug. 4). We are committed to providing regular updates on this issue and how we are moving quickly to correct it. We want to assure you: your children are safe at school, and we are taking immediate and sustained action to make sure it stays that way.
Recent findings from the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General identified areas for improvement in how background checks are processed and monitored for school-based employees, contractors, and volunteers. These issues went unaddressed over many years (since 2019) and by previous administrations, but we now have a plan that we would like to share with you on how we will solve this issue.
What We're Doing Right Now
- Prioritizing New Hires First
We’re prioritizing new hires—hundreds are being hired before this school year—by adding trained staff to expedite clearances. Since all of our existing employees already have at least one background check, we want to be sure all of our new staff are fully approved before starting work. - Clearing the CPS Background Check Backlog
Our County and State partners are stepping up, and we appreciate working closely with the Maryland and Montgomery County Departments of Human Services to move quickly, add staff, and modernize processes so every adult around students is fully screened. An enlarged team is now working in a fully electronic system to clear any employee without a Child Protective Services (CPS) check. - Re-Fingerprinting Staff Hired Before 2019
A contract for additional fingerprinting services will be brought for approval to the Board of Education on Aug. 21. All staff hired before 2019 will be re-fingerprinted and enrolled in the FBI’s continuous monitoring system, RapBack. Beginning September 4, mobile fingerprinting units will visit schools to make this fast and convenient. Note: Beginning at the Summer Leadership meeting today (Aug. 14), more than 200 school and system leaders were re-cleared. - Re-Badging All Staff
Every staff member will receive a new badge as part of the clearance process, making it clear who is fully cleared to work in our schools. Extra badging printers and materials are ordered and on the way.
Reminder: No Clearance = No Unsupervised Access
Whether an employee, contractor, or volunteer, if the background check isn’t complete, they will not be left alone with students.
Accountability and Transparency
On Sept. 25, MCPS will present a public update to the Board of Education, and on Sept. 26, MCPS will present an update at a Montgomery County Council on progress made to clear background checks. We welcome this oversight and are committed to open communication so you know exactly where we stand. We will regularly report to you on our progress in this work via messages home and shared with our school leaders.
Why This Matters
Safety isn’t a “once and done” task for us. It must be monitored, updated, and confirmed continuously. When systems tied to safety can be improved, we will. With this plan, we are not just fixing a problem—we are building a better system for future years.