Dear MCPS Families and Community,
I am writing to share with you important information about a critical process issue in our school district that should have been addressed many years ago. A report released today from the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General raised important questions about the background screening process in our school district. These issues stem from gaps in our systems dating back to at least 2019, which were not properly addressed by prior administrations. We are now uncovering the full extent of these issues and are taking swift and serious action to correct them.
The bottom line is this:
YES—your children are safe. And here’s what you need to know.
1. Is every MCPS employee required to complete a background check?
YES. Every MCPS employee must complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check as a condition of employment. No employee is permitted to begin work until the check is completed and cleared under applicable law and policy.
2. Has every MCPS employee had a criminal background check?
YES. Every current working MCPS employee has completed a criminal background check. This has always been a requirement before beginning employment with MCPS.
3. So…what’s the big deal?
Two things are big deals.
First: We need to do a better job of continuous monitoring, and we are now doing that by ensuring that all employees hired before 2019 are rechecked and entered into the FBI’s continuous monitoring system known as RapBack. This work will move forward through a comprehensive plan to recheck all employees swiftly and on a schedule.
Second: MCPS policy requires an additional screening step: a Child Protective Services (CPS) clearance to ensure that employees do not have any indicated reports of child abuse or neglect. While this clearance has long been required, the process for completing these checks—run through Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services—has not kept pace with MCPS hiring. We are seeking to fix this, too, but it requires ongoing collaboration between our two agencies.
Some of the key breakdowns in recent years include stopping re-fingerprinting and RapBack enrollments in 2020 during the pandemic and failing to implement the state’s online portal for CPS checks after being notified in March 2024. We are now fully addressing these problems with urgency and transparency.
So, the big deal is this: we’re fixing what wasn’t done completely or consistently in the past, and we are doing it with urgency, transparency, and a focus on getting it right.
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Here Are the Other Necessary Actions Underway:
- Real-Time Clearance Tracking
A new system launched in July 2025 enables schools to instantly verify that no contractor or volunteer begins work without proper clearance. - Modernizing CPS Submissions
We worked with Montgomery County Child Welfare Services to replace the old paper process with a digital system that allows faster, more coordinated CPS background checks. This has led to dramatic reductions in CPS processing times—from 4-6 weeks down to just a few business days. - Training and Oversight
We are training staff and putting stronger accountability systems in place for anyone managing background clearances. - Partnering for Screening That Meets Hiring Demand
Since another agency conducts CPS checks, we’ve worked with county and state officials to increase capacity and reduce the backlog. We do not—and legally cannot—perform these checks ourselves, but we are pushing for improvements at every level. - Rebadging All Staff
All employees will receive new ID badges once they are re-cleared. The new badges will include more visual information to strengthen school-level safety and ensure up-to-date screening.
You can read the full action plan here, and the letter I sent to the Inspector General.
My team and I will keep you updated on the progress we make toward these actions, some of which are underway now, and some of which will take time. We are absolutely committed to doing the right work to repair and strengthen our systems, and we know that demonstrating our progress with real details and solid actions is the only way we will earn your trust. We will get through this and be better off, and this school year will be a great school year. We are building a stronger, safer MCPS—together.
Sincerely,
Thomas W. Taylor, Ed.D., MBA
Superintendent of Schools
For more information you can view a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document here.
Email us: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org