Please contact: Human Resources at 386-647-4634 or 386-647-4641 if you have problems trying to apply.

Thank you for your interest in Suwannee County School District. The Suwannee County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age disability or marital status in its educational programs, services or activities, or in its hiring or employment practices. The district also provides equal access to its facilities to the Boy Scouts and other patriotic youth groups, as required by the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act. The Suwannee County School District follows all requirements for accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

• If you believe you will require accommodations during the job application, screening, interview, or job offer process because of a disability, you may request an ADA accommodation by contacting the Human Resources office by email or telephone.

• It is your responsibility to notify the Suwannee County School District if you need reasonable accommodations.

The Florida Retirement System (FRS) is the retirement program for our district.  Eligible employees may choose one of the two FRS plans. Each plan offers important benefits.  Currently, district employees are responsible for contributing 3% of their salary to the retirement plan chosen.  

New employees have five months to make a plan choice. FRS will mail a personal enrollment kit approximately three months after the date of hire. When planning for retirement, "Be forewarned that when the FRS is less than 100 percent funded, the legislature may reduce future benefits to lessen plan liabilities, or may raise employee contributions to increase funding. The legislature may make changes to FRS at any time." (MyFlorida.com, 2012).

The FRS Pension Plan is a traditional retirement plan designed for longer service employees. It pays a guaranteed monthly benefit based on service and salary when you retire. You qualify for a benefit after 6 years of service.

The FRS Investment Plan was designed for a more mobile workforce. Your benefit is based on how much money is contributed to your account and how well that invested money grows over time. You qualify for a benefit after 1 year of service.

After your initial plan selection, you are permitted to switch between plans once before terminating your employment

• COMPARING THE PLANS

• FRS VIDEOS

• FRS has a number of informational videos are available for you to view.

• DIVISION OF RETIREMENT WEBSITE

Background Checks

The Jessica Lunsford Act was enacted on September 1, 2005 in response to the tragic abduction and death of Jessica Lunsford. This law affects a vendors’ business operations and employees if they are under contract with Suwannee County Schools. Florida statute requires all vendors, contractors, and subcontractors of Suwannee County Schools, to undergo a FDLE/FBI Level II background screening if any of these three conditions are met.  1.    If employees of the vendor will be on school grounds when students are present, or 2.    Have direct contact with students, or 3.    Have access to or control of school funds. If vendors have no personnel who meet any of these three conditions, the law does not apply. In addition, there are a few statutory exemptions to this requirement, which include:

• Non-instructional contractors who are under direct supervision of a school district employee or contractor who has a criminal history check and meets the screening requirements under s.1012.32, s. 1012.465, s. 1012.467, or s.1012.56.  Section 8 (a)1 also states:  “For purposes of this paragraph, the term "direct supervision" means that a school district employee or contractor is physically present with a non-instructional contractor when the contractor has access to a student and the access remains in the school district employee's or the contractor's line of sight.”

• A law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10, who is assigned or dispatched to school grounds by his or her employer Section 8 (c).

• An employee or medical director of an ambulance provider, licensed pursuant to chapter 401, who is providing services within the scope of part III of chapter 401 on behalf of such ambulance provider.  Section 8 (d).

• Non-instructional contractors who remain at a site where students are not permitted if the site is separated from the remainder of the school grounds by a single chain-link fence of 6 feet in height.  Section 8 (e).

Non-instructional contractors who provide pick-up or delivery services and those services involving *brief visits on school grounds when students are present.  Section 8 (e).  *Brief is defined by http://www.dictionary.com as “lasting or taking a short time; of short duration”.

If you meet any of the above conditions, you may be exempt and do not need a badge. Vendors who have personnel, who are required to have security clearance, must do so.  Once they have applied for security clearance, followed the fingerprint process, and have been cleared after an evaluation of the state and national  FDLE/FBI Level 2 background check, they will receive an ID badge that must be worn at all times while on a school campus.

As of September 1, 2008, the FDLE modified the Florida School Shared Results (FSSR) database. This database now only contains fingerprints taken after 7/1/07.

 If you have any questions, please feel free to call the HR Department at (386) 647-4641 or (386) 647-4634