Urbana Schools Back Off Fingerprint Policy

School district officials in Urbana have decided to lift a requirement for prospective student tutors or supervised volunteers to undergo fingerprint background checks. The Urbana school board voted unanimously to update its volunteer background screening policy to mirror rules in Champaign and other nearby school districts. Only volunteers who have unsupervised contact with students and all new employees will be subject to fingerprint background checks. The district has paid $50 per fingerprint background check for every volunteer since 2008. Now volunteers will undergo online name checks that will cost the district $8 apiece. Requiring name checks instead of fingerprinting on 400 tutors this year is expected to save $13,000.