Background Screening

ALL PARENTS, as well as all nonmembers who work with HCS students (e.g., coaches, alumni, and staff) are required to participate in a criminal background check. Requiring background checks is due diligence on our part and helps avoid issues and protect students.

This is a mandatory requirement for all HCS parents, both mother and father, whether they attend Class Days or not. Screening services are provided by Active Screening, a national leader in criminal data management and credential verification. All results are kept strictly confidential. Only the HCS Registrar and Board of Directors will have access to the screening results.

At your earliest convenience, please go to the Active Screening website and enter the requested information (e.g., name, current and former addresses, social security number, driver’s license number). The HCS specific website is https://opportunities.averity.com/HCSSD. The link to the background check site can also be found below. Please see the FAQ article for more information.

Thank you very much for all your hard work discipling and instructing your children. The board is humbled and honored to be able to serve an amazing community like HCS. And thank you for promptly completing your screening; your cooperation means our office staff has more time to work on other school business.

Respectfully yours,
Heritage Christian School Board of Directors

Please Note: This background screening DOES NOT include a credit check. However, the default notice at the end of the online form requires acknowledgement that you have received and read the documents detailing your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Summary of Your Rights.

Go to Screening Now

FAQs

We’re a small, Christian, homeschooling, community—do you really think this is necessary?

Child predators seek out close trusting communities because their chance of getting access to children is highest in such an environment. Publicized criminal background checks is an excellent deterrent. Most pedophiles won’t attempt to enter a community when they know a background check is required.

How much does it cost?

New families' enrollment fee will cover both parents. Adult volunteers and club staff (such as alumni or coaches) will also need background checks; it is the board’s expectation that the sponsoring club will pay the $15 fee for their adult contributors, but we leave that decision to the individual clubs.

How long does it take?

About ten minutes.

Why does my husband have to get screened if he never comes to school events? – and – Why do I have to get screened if I do not attend Class Days?

Allowing some people not to be screened would create a coverage gap that a child predator could exploit. All HCS parents have access to students through clubs and school-wide activities. It is impracticable to monitor and enforce different levels of access given the diversity of adult-student encounters possible in our school and the volunteer nature of our supervising authorities.

Do we have to do this every year?

No, this is a one-time requirement for any contiguous enrollment period.

Who will see the results of my screening?

The office staff will NOT see the results of anyone's screening. The school registrar will check with Active Screening to make sure everyone has completed the process and will only see if a person's results have been flagged as having an issue; the registrar will not see the results themselves. If there is a flag, the designated Review Board Members will be informed and will look into it further.

What happens if the background check finds something?

The Registrar will apprise a three member sub-committee of the Board of Directors of any flagged results. The sub-committee will review the flagged results and contact the affected person to discuss the result with them. If the affected individual does not wish to discuss the results, they may leave HCS at any time; their privacy will be respected in all cases and confidentiality maintained. The sub-committee will make a recommendation to the board of directors on what, if any, action should be taken. The full board will participate in determining an appropriate response.

I had a DUI ten years ago before becoming a Christian—are you going to kick me out?

No. A felony involving misconduct with children is grounds for disenrollment from the school. A felony unrelated to misconduct with children will be handled on a case by case basis with the type of crime, circumstances, and elapsed time all factoring into a final decision.

Aren’t Christians supposed to forgive?

Yes! But, the Lord disciplines those He loves (Heb 12:6). Loving discipline includes restricting privileges. Also, part of forgiveness and restoration is setting boundaries that help prevent recidivism.

What information do I have to provide?

You have to provide your name, any former names used (e.g., maiden name), current and previous two addresses, social security number, date of birth, ethnicity, gender, phone number, email and driver’s license number.

How will my personal information be used/stored?

Personal information will used by Active Screening in accordance with its published privacy policy (http://www.activescreening.com/about-us/privacy-policy/) and data security policy (http://www.activescreening.com/about-us/data-security/ ). Active Screening will maintain the highest level of security and confidentiality of all personal information and will under no circumstances sell or distribute personal information to a third party, except as provided in their Privacy Policy or when required to do so by law. HCS will not have access to your personally identifying information through Active Screening except your name and the last four digits of your social security number.

Can I see the results of my check?

Yes. When you fill out the form you can chose the option to have a copy of the report emailed to the address you provide.

Does HCS really need to do this since there haven’t been any instances of abuse?

We don’t want to wait until after a child is hurt to put preventative measures in place. Additionally, our insurance company has informed us that this step is a requirement of our liability policy. If we are not covered in this area, a single lawsuit could put the school out of business.

Why does a "criminal background check" require you to check my personal credit history or driving record?

It was never HCS’s intent to check driving records or credit records, only criminal background records. The screening company never ran credit or driving record checks or planned to run them. However, the screening company initially used a generic, all-inclusive disclaimer that mentioned the credit and driving record checks. The disclaimer language has been corrected to accurately reflect the fact that we are only performing a criminal back-ground check. The Board sincerely apologizes for this error. Thank you for bearing with us as we vet this new process and thanks to those of you who brought this issue to our attention.