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School board approves $2.6M to re‑fingerprint staff under new state clearinghouse mandate
Summary
The Hillsborough County School Board unanimously approved $2.6 million to refingerprint all district employees to comply with the Florida Clearinghouse under 2023 legislation, amid board concern about the unfunded cost and how new flags and exemptions will be handled.
The Hillsborough County School Board on Feb. 25 approved a measure to have all district employees refingerprinted and entered into the Florida Clearinghouse, a statewide background-screening database, at an estimated cost of $2,600,000.
Board members and staff said the change responds to 2023 state legislation requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) clearinghouse to review and determine eligibility for criminal-history checks. The district must have new prints entered between April 2025 and June 30, 2027, Superintendent Ayers said.
The vote, to approve agenda item C402, passed unanimously after debate and questions about funding, logistics and staffing. The motion was made by Member Combs and seconded by Member Gray.
Why it matters: The clearinghouse consolidates criminal-history records into one repository and can push alerts to employers when a new record appears, district staff said. Board members said faster, centralized checks could speed hiring and improve student safety, but they warned the requirement is an unfunded state mandate that will cost the district millions.
Board discussi…
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