Clearance Information for Employees, Coaches, and Ancillary Workers
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Pennsylvania's law requires that all applicants for employment in public and private schools, employees of independent contractors seeking business with public and private schools, and student teacher candidates undergo background checks if they have direct contact (i.e., are responsible for the direct supervision or care) with students.
Clearances must be obtained for the purposes of employment and, therefore, clearances obtained for other reasons (e.g., adoption, volunteering) and for other organizations are not transferable. New employees must submit the below three (3) clearances that are no older than one year (12 months) from the date of issue, whereas existing employees must renew the below three (3) clearances every sixty (60) months.
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Department of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance
Also known as ACT 151 of 1994, the DHS Child Abuse History Clearance is the first of three required clearances for all employee groups. To obtain this clearance, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Child Welfare Portal by clicking HERE. Please note that if it is your first time visiting the site, you will be asked to create a Keystone ID username and follow the instructions to create a password. Be sure to store your Keystone ID and password in a safe place for future use.
Once on the website, you will need to provide your current home address and check SCHOOL as the purpose of your inquiry. Note that there is a fee of $13.00 to obtain this clearance. This cost is assumed by the new employee and is not reimbursed by the Southern Lehigh SD.
Once successfully submitted, you will receive an email notification with a link to view your clearance. Please print and save your results as an Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) file. You will need to submit your results to the Office of Human Resources. Results are not automatically sent to the Southern Lehigh SD.
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Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Records Check
Also known as ACT 34 of 1985, the Pennsylvania State Criminal Record Check is the second of three required clearances for all employee groups. To obtain this clearance, please visit the Pennsylvania State Police Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) website by clicking HERE.
Once on the website, select Submit a New Record Check, and indicate the reason as EMPLOYMENT. Note that there is a fee of $22.00 to obtain this clearance. This cost is assumed by the new employee and is not reimbursed by the Southern Lehigh SD.
Once you have obtained your clearance, please print and save your results as an Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) file. Be aware that this report will be viewable to you only one time. You will need to submit your results to the Office of Human Resources. Results are not automatically sent to the Southern Lehigh SD.
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Federal Criminal History Record Information
Also known as ACT 114 of 2006, the FBI Criminal History Record Investigation (CHRI) is the third of three required clearances for all employee groups. To obtain this clearance, please visit navigate to IdentoGO, which is authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to perform fingerprinting services to obtain this clearance. You can visit the agency's website by clicking HERE.
Once on the website, please use the specific agency Service Code 1KG6XN and select the purpose as EMPLOYMENT. Although you will have the option to either schedule an appointment or opt for walk-in service, all applicants are required to pre-enroll online or over the phone. Note that there is a fee of $25.25 to obtain this clearance. This cost is assumed by the new employee and is not reimbursed by the Southern Lehigh SD. Additionally, please be aware of the following when completing your application:
- Reports processed for any other purpose other than EMPLOYMENT are not valid.
- If you make a mistake, select the “Back to Home” button and begin the process again. If you do not use the above Service Code, you will need to pay for a new background check.
- Record your UE ID registration number (a series of letters and numbers). You will need to provide this to the school district for verification purposes.
Once successfully submitted, you will need to report to an authorized fingerprinting center; you can find a location near you by searching the IdentoGo website. Once your results are available, you will receive an email notification with a link to view your clearance. Please print and save your results as an Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) file. You will need to submit your results to the Office of Human Resources. Results are not automatically sent to the Southern Lehigh SD.
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Sexual Misconduct/ Abuse Disclosure Release Form
Also known as ACT 168 of 2014, the Sexual Misconduct/ Abuse Disclosure Release Form is required of any Southern Lehigh SD new hire. Unlike the three (3) clearances above, two copies of this Form are required of new hires - each for the new hire's two (2) most recent employers. You can download a copy of the Sexual Misconduct/ Abuse Disclosure Form by navigating to the your Employee Group on the left-hand side; it will be located under the Required Forms: LEGAL (Federal, State, Local) section.
To ensure correct and timely processing of the Form, the new hire must provide the most recent employer's contact information and complete Section I. The most recent employer will then complete Section II and send it to the Southern Lehigh SD. As the new hire, you should not send our office the completed Form; state law requires that the most recent employer send the completed Form directly to the Southern Lehigh SD. The most recent employer is welcome to email (hr@slsd.org) or fax (610.922.1605) the Form to our office. Remember to provide the Form to your two (2) most recent employers. Without receiving both Forms, you can not begin your service with the Southern Lehigh SD.
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Arrest/ Conviction Report and Certification Form
Also known as ACT 24 of 2011, the Arrest/ Conviction Report and Certification Form is required of any Southern Lehigh SD new hire. Unlike any of the clearances above, this is a self-reporting form; there is no need to provide this information to another party other than the Southern Lehigh SD. You can download a copy of the Arrest/ Conviction Report and Certification Form by navigating to your Employee Group on the left-hand side; it will be located under the Required Forms: LEGAL (Federal, State, Local) section.
To ensure correct and timely processing of the Form, you must complete the Form at the time of hire and within 72 hours of any arrest or conviction of a Reportable Offense as listed in 24 P.S. Education § 1-111(e), which you can view by clicking HERE. State law declares that willful failure to report any such arrest or conviction timely can result in termination of employment. Accordingly, you can not begin (or continue) your service with the Southern Lehigh SD without receiving this Form.
