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Fairfax County Public Schools has become Virginia’s first school division to continuously monitor employees and certain other adults for new criminal records, replacing background checks that captured only a single point in time.

The division launched the Rap Back service on July 1, 2025, after working with Virginia State Police for more than a year. The system sends FCPS alerts about arrests, convictions, and other reported criminal offenses in Virginia, as well as information submitted to the FBI by other states.

Rap Back covers employees, independent contractors, and Level 3 volunteers—people who work directly with students without staff supervision. FCPS plans to enroll everyone in those groups within the next few months.

By early September 2025, the division had enrolled 22,365 employees. Enrollment was continuing ahead of a late-September deadline.

When new information is added to an enrolled person’s criminal record, Virginia State Police receives it and notifies FCPS. Employees must still comply with the school division’s existing requirement to report their own arrests.

Superintendent Michelle Reid said the program turns a reactive screening process into a proactive safeguard for students and staff. Chief Human Resources Officer William Solomon said it adds another layer to the division’s safety and security measures.

FCPS is piloting the system’s statewide rollout, creating a path for other Virginia school divisions to adopt continuous monitoring. If expanded across the state, the program could affect safeguards covering nearly 1.3 million K-12 students.