Legislators may debate TB testing of school staff

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A tuberculosis outbreak in Greenwood County that was spread by a school employee may prompt South Carolina legislators to require more testing of school staff.

For decades, state law has required that applicants for any job at a school or day care be evaluated for tuberculosis and provide proof from a doctor before starting work that they do not have the contagious disease. But no follow-up testing is required.

The director of South Carolina’s public health agency says she thinks periodic testing is a good idea.

Catherine Templeton’s response came as senators questioned her Thursday about her agency’s investigation into an outbreak that began with a janitor at Ninety-Six Primary School.

Templeton says his case was very advanced by the time he was removed from the school in early March.