The state bureau that does criminal background checks has a five-month backlog — and thousands of teachers and other professionals are being put to work without official word on whether they pose a safety risk.

The backlog of 11,000 to 13,000 fingerprint cards surprises and concerns some public education officials and legislators.

But a high-tech solution appears to be in sight — and just out of reach. Utah unsuccessfully applied for a federal grant to get it. And money for it is rolled into another Department of Public Safety budget request, unbeknownst to several lawmakers.

"I've heard that as a rumor," Rep. David Hogue, R-West Jordan and co-chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee for Executive Offices and Criminal Justice, said of the BCI backlog. "But I have not heard it directly."

Between 11,000 and 13,000 fingerprint cards await processing at the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification, BCI manager Alice Erickson said. That's a four- to five-month wait.

Of those cards, 1,744 belong to new and student teachers — "the longest backlog we've ever had," said Joan Patterson, state educator licensing coordinator.

Another 15 percent belong to volunteers, non-teacher coaches, substitute teachers and other school district personnel, BCI chief Scott Behunin said.

The rest include real estate agents, mortgage lenders and people with access to water utilities, the latter considered potential terrorist targets, he said.

The backlog is for fingerprinting only and doesn't affect all background checks.

For instance, of health- and child-care workers who have background checks, only the few from out of state must be fingerprinted, said Iona Thraen, division director of Health Systems Improvement for the Utah Department of Health. Division workers do their own checks through BCI and child abuse databases, and they are not experiencing a backlog.

Some professionals are allowed to work while their fingerprints are processed, including real estate agents, mortgage lenders, teachers, substitutes and other school workers, officials report.

The practice is unheard of among law enforcement and firefighters, said Sgt. Wade Breur of the Department of Public Safety.

But school officials say their situation is different.

"I would suppose law enforcement officers and firefighters can access overtime to cover additional shifts," Patterson said. "A teacher cannot be in a neighboring classroom . . . or hold class until 10:30 at night."

The BCI backlog shocks some legislators, noting school workers' access to children.

"Yes, I'm very concerned," said Sen. Patrice Arent, D-Cottonwood, who sits on the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Standing Committee.