KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Last week's deadly shooting at Central High School has some educators wanting to know about their students' records -- specifically, any history of trouble.

School administrators say there is only so much they can legally do.

Safety can be a concern for teachers when it comes to the criminal pasts of their students, but it's a legal matter, according to Knox County Secondary Instruction Director Ed Hedgepeth.

He says, “We certainly can understand their concern at the same time we certainly are going to follow the letter of the law as well."

There is a current law that allows serious violent juvenile offenses to be reported to the school system, but the 15-year-old charged with first degree murder in the Central High School shooting falls outside of this law, because his juvenile record is for non-violent crimes.

Hedgepeth says, “we're not privy to all that information, it's up to the courts to let teh schools know. so its not us having the information, its having the information released to us."

He says the concerns of teachers need to be addressed, but the privacy of minors is also an issue.

“It's not as much about punitive measure as it is rehabilitation."

But kids make mistakes, and Hedgepeth says the school system does not want to judge, while some teachers just want to be prepared.

Hedgepeth says, “Certainly, its an issues that needs to be addressed but it needs to be addressed and very well thought out at the same time."

Hedgepeth says, at this time, there are no immediate policy changes planned that would provide juvenile record information to teachers.

He says, for now, they will continue to follow the law in place that gives them certain juvenile information.

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Some Knoxville teachers want to know about students' juvenile crime records in light of last week's fatal school shooting at Central High School.

Knox County Education Association President Athanasios Bayiates said he has been talking with teachers at that school and in the county about a possible change in school procedures.

Central High freshman Jamar Siler was arrested Thursday minutes after police say he fatally shot sophomore Ryan McDonald in the school's cafeteria. Both 15-year-olds been involved with the juvenile courts before, but authorities refused to give details.

Bayiates said that if teachers are aware of a student's background, educators will "be able to approach that child in a more proactive way and de-escalate a situation."

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(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)