Applicants recommended for employment with the district are subject to work history, education history, and reference investigations, including but not limited to substitutes, temporaries, and employees of independent contractors having direct student contact. Each such applicant will be subject to a criminal background investigation, which may include mandatory fingerprinting, at the applicant or contractor’s expense, as a condition of further consideration of employment.

All offers of employment and all contracts with independent contractors whose employees have direct student contact are contingent upon the satisfactory completion of background investigations. Criminal convictions shall not automatically bar an applicant from obtaining employment with the Rio Rancho Public Schools, but pursuant to the Criminal Offender Act, NMSA 1978, Sections 28-2-4 and 28-2-5, and NMSA 1978, Section 22-10-3.3, may be the basis for refusing employment.

The administration may also conduct the referenced background investigations of incumbent employees if it becomes aware of facts, circumstances, a or conduct that give rise to a reasonable suspicion, that undisclosed aspects of the employee’s background might disqualify him or her to continue employment with the district.

The Director of Human Resources shall have the authority and responsibility for managing employee criminal history investigations.

Rio Rancho Public Schools
Adopted: September 29, 1997
Reviewed: August 9, 1999