Lexington School District Two in West Columbia, South Carolina screens its volunteers, and staff when needed, with Bchex. Brian Chatman, Director of Student Support Services, says results have been 100% correct in his experience, come back fast, and make hard conversations easier. He calls Bchex’s support “the best customer service I’ve ever dealt with.”
The challenge
Volunteers across a whole district, and results he has to stand behind.
The result
Results 100% correct in Brian’s experience, and no one has disputed one.
About Lexington School District Two
Lexington School District Two is a public school district in West Columbia, South Carolina. Brian Chatman, Director of Student Support Services, oversees student services, volunteers, and student programs.
Success story snapshot
- Every result correct, in Brian’s words
- No one has disputed or denied a result with him
- An account representative who calls to check in
- No hidden fees, no surprises
Every volunteer, every school
Volunteers across the district. Anything involving students, student programs, and volunteers falls under Brian’s supervision, and that includes their background checks.
Schools waiting on answers. Results have to come back in time for Brian to get them out to the schools.
Hard conversations. Some people with a negative check want to talk it through. Brian needs results he can stand behind.
It’s really made my job easy when it comes to doing background checks.
A simple system with a person behind it
Easy to use. “It’s a good tool, easy to use, very simple interface,” Brian says. District staff or the person being checked enter the information, and the results land in his system.
A representative who checks in. His account representative calls to see how things are going, tells him about new products, and helped him learn the interface and web portal. “Best customer service I’ve ever dealt with,” he says.
No surprises on cost. “No hidden fees, no surprises.”
When it comes to safety and security, I feel like the results we get are true.
Accurate results he can stand behind
When someone with a negative check wants to talk it through, the report makes it easier. “The way that we receive our background checks has also made it very easy for me to talk to people who have negative checks,” Brian says. “I haven’t had anybody debate anything.”
He trusts what comes back. “Everything that’s been on it has been 100% correct,” he says, and it gives him “a definite idea of who’s coming in.” It’s fast, too. Some mornings he arrives to several completed checks. “I’ve never had to sit back and just wait days or weeks for a background check to come back.”
His summary: “very fast, very efficient, very cost effective.”
Partnering with Bchex has been perfect.
What other schools can take from this
- Choose reports you can explain. Clear results make it easier to talk a volunteer through a negative check.
- Expect a person, not just a portal. An account representative who calls to check in makes the system easier to run.
- Ask about hidden fees up front. Brian’s summary of Bchex pricing: “No hidden fees, no surprises.”
* Some numbers come from customer quotes given in 2024. Today, about 85% of eligible Bchex searches come back within 24 hours.
Lexington School District Two and Bchex: quick answers
- How fast are volunteer background checks for a school district?
- Fast. Brian Chatman of Lexington School District Two says he has never had to wait days or weeks for a check, and some mornings he arrives to several completed ones. In his June 2024 testimonial, checks came back in one to two days. Today, about 85% of eligible Bchex searches come back within 24 hours.
- How should a school handle a volunteer with a negative background check?
- Talk it through. Brian Chatman of Lexington School District Two says the way Bchex reports arrive makes those conversations easy, and in his experience nobody has debated or denied what a report shows.
- What support does the district get from Bchex?
- An account representative calls to check in, shares new products, and helped Brian Chatman learn the interface and web portal. He calls it the best customer service he has dealt with, with “no hidden fees, no surprises.”
- How accurate are Bchex background checks?
- Brian Chatman of Lexington School District Two says “everything that’s been on it has been 100% correct,” and no one has debated or denied a result with him. Bchex is PBSA-accredited and searches 5,000+ data sources, including direct courthouse records.
- Do other South Carolina school districts use Bchex?
- Yes. Bchex works with 50% of South Carolina school districts and 90% of North Carolina school districts, including Lexington School District Two in West Columbia.
- Is Bchex cost effective for a school district?
- Brian Chatman of Lexington School District Two calls it “very fast, very efficient, very cost effective,” with “no hidden fees, no surprises.”
About Bchex
Bchex, formerly known as Background Investigation Bureau (BIB), is a PBSA-accredited, SOC 2 Type 2 certified background screening and workforce safety company founded in 1995 and based in Huntersville, North Carolina. It has run more than 40 million checks for 2,000+ organizations, including school districts, churches, nonprofits, staffing firms, and employers. The Bchex Safety Ecosystem covers background checks, volunteer screening with SecureVolunteer, ongoing monitoring with Chex365, and visitor check-in with Chexpass.
