High School District To Check Employee Resident Status

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The Kern High School District has approved a plan about an electronic program that would show if district workers are legal or not.

Trustees said it's part of doing good business.

Monday night Kern High School District said yes to the e-verify program. The program would show that workers for vendors and contractors who do business with the district have the legal right to work in the U.S.

E-verify is a free program offered to all business owners by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.

Businesses would ask their employees to submit a Social Security number for verification that those employees can legally work in the U.S.

The program is voluntary and businesses in California are not required to comply.

Trustee Ken Mettler said it's the high school district's responsibility to make sure companies they do business with have a labor force with the legal right to work.

What they still don't know is how the actual vendors would be notified of the e-verify program.

Several options discussed last night include letting them know in conjunction with bids submitted to the district or through correspondence.