To help keep criminals out of Utah schools, educators might soon have to reach deeper into their own pockets.

The Utah State Board of Education gave preliminary approval to a rule Friday that would require teachers to undergo background checks when they renew their licenses every five years. If the rule passes as written, teachers, who already pay $60 for license renewal, will have to pay an additional $65 for their background checks.

The board crafted the rule in response to an April legislative audit that criticized the state's system for screening school employees as "flawed and ineffective." Auditors who randomly checked 1,209 school employees found 17, including four teachers, had criminal convictions either before or after they were hired, or both.

Vik Arnold, with the Utah Education Association (UEA), said the UEA understands why the board created the rule but doesn't want to see teachers carry the financial burden.

"It will more than double the cost of license renewal. It's a difficult time to ask teachers to take another financial hit," Arnold said referring to state budget cuts that will mean less pay for some teachers because of less preparation and/or school days.

He said if education leaders and lawmakers want so badly to have teachers undergo background checks, they should be willing to foot the bill. He also said the UEA is not convinced the move will make a big difference because the audit found so few teachers with criminal issues. He said the UEA would rather see money go toward improving teacher and school employee training to help "prevent them from crossing that line of appropriate behavior."

Board member Janet Cannon said the board is simply responding to auditors' recommendations.

"It has to be paid for, and there's no money," she said of state budgets. She said it's important to implement periodic background checks to keep children safe.

The board will likely consider final approval of the rule at its next meeting.

The board on Friday also gave final approval to a rule requiring teachers and other licensed educators to report arrests to their employers and requiring districts to create policies mandating that other employees to do the same and undergo periodic background checks.