EDITORIAL: More comprehensive background checks slow hiring at Clark County School District. So what?

State lawmakers early this year passed legislation intended to address several high-profile cases of sexual misconduct involving teachers and other school employees. The new laws demand that school districts dig deeper into the backgrounds of potential new hires.

Now an official with the Clark County School District says the additional work is slowing the evaluation process. “It is putting a strain on the HR department,” Andre Long, the district’s human resources officer, told the Review-Journal’s Meghin Delaney last week.

Mr. Long allows that the more stringent background checks do provide more details on applicants, but says that it now takes more time to vet candidates for employment.

If so, that’s a good problem to have. Parents and students shouldn’t need to worry about predators popping up in the classroom because district officials failed to do their due diligence. If ensuring a safe learning environment slows the hiring process a tad and means Mr. Long’s office has a bit more work, it’s well worth the trade-off.