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Forsyth County board opens 30‑day review of criminal background‑check policy
Summary
District staff presented revisions to policy GAK (criminal background checks), saying legal counsel removed redundant language; the board agreed to a 30‑day public comment period and staff will return with any revisions.
Forsyth County Board of Education members agreed on April 14 to open revised language for policy GAK — the district’s criminal background‑check policy — for a 30‑day public review after a staff presentation on proposed edits.
Derek Hershey, a recurring presenter to the board, said legal counsel reviewed the policy and removed "unnecessary and redundant language" while preserving safeguards. He told the board that the revised policy clarifies that a superintendent’s designate, not only the superintendent, may implement background‑check procedures and that the district runs a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) audit every two years through human resources.
Board members asked for clarification about how rehires would be treated. Presenters responded that employees are fingerprinted and checked at each hire event, including rehires, and that an earlier background report can become outdated between hire events. After the questions, the board directed staff to post the revised policy for a 30‑day public input period and return at the next work session to consider public feedback.
The action is a procedural referral for public comment rather than a final policy adoption. No vote to adopt the revised policy was recorded on April 14; the board instead took the administrative step to solicit public input before further action.
The next step is administrative: staff will publish the revised policy text for public review and bring any recommended changes back to the board at its next work session.
