The Fairfax County Public School system is the first in the state to enroll in an FBI background check program to screen all employees. FCPS is participating in “Rap Back” in collaboration with Virginia State Police, which began using the program in response to legislation passed through the state’s General Assembly.
The Fairfax County School Board endorsed the program as part of its 2025 State and Federal Legislative Program priorities. “The FCSB supports dedicated and ongoing state resources to facilitate local participation as Virginia joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Rap Back Service,” the board said.
With the Rap Back program, once an employee is enrolled, the individual’s fingerprints will be subject to future searches in system. According to the FBI, “With Rap Back, an electronic notification will be generated if some time later your applicant, employee, volunteer, or licensee engages in any criminal activity where fingerprints are taken and submitted to the NGI [Next Generation Identification] System.”
William Solomon, chief human resources officer for FCPS, told WTOP that, “Rap Back is continuous fingerprinting monitoring. Previously, all of our employees were fingerprinted as required by law, but that fingerprinting is point-in-time. That can lead to certain gaps because you’re relying on people to send emails or people to send information, versus a system that’s able to tell you in real time, rapid fashion.”
Solomon said that 32,000 FCPS employees have been enrolled in Rap Back, and the remaining 8,000 are expected to be enrolled by October. Independent contractors and volunteers who work directly with students without staff oversight will also be enrolled in the program.
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