Act 24 of 2011, signed into law on June 30, 2011, significantly amended Section 111 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code, which requires background checks for employees of public and private schools, intermediate units and area vocational-technical schools (AVTS), including independent contractors and their employees. There is a new Basic Education Circular (BEC) that provides school administrators with guidance concerning the duties imposed on them as the result of these important amendments. The Background Checks BEC can be found via the BEC table, posted on the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) web site or by clicking here.

For additional information on these changes, please contact Denise Wolfgang in the PDE’s School Services office at 717-783-3750 or dwolfgang@pa.gov.