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Resident asks district to pursue broader notifications for nearby sex-offender registry entries; superintendent says district will research
Summary
A resident asked the Elwood school district to coordinate with neighboring districts and law enforcement so families living near, but outside, the district would receive notifications about registered sex offenders; the superintendent said staff will research who compiles the registry and whether cross-district notification is possible.
A resident asked the Elwood Union Free School District Board of Education to look into whether families who live across a district boundary but are close to a registered sex offender’s address can receive the same notifications provided to neighbors in other districts.
Marlene Costanza identified herself as a parent and community member and said neighbors in the adjacent district received a notice that a registered sex offender lived nearby while Elwood residents on the other side of the same street did not. “I just feel that it's super important that if you live within a certain distance regardless of what school district you live in, that we should be notified,” Costanza said.
A board member explained the district does not compile the registry and suggested the resident ask who maintains the list. Superintendent Dr. Steele told the board the district will research the issue and reach out to school resource officers, local police and neighboring districts to determine who compiles the notifications and what the geographic parameters are. “We can look into that. Absolutely,” Steele said.
Board policy governing resident public remarks (policy referenced at the meeting) was read aloud before public comment began; the board did not take immediate formal action other than to direct staff to investigate.
Why it matters: The question addresses how safety-related notifications are shared across municipal and school-district boundaries and whether families who live near sensitive addresses but outside a district receive equivalent information.
The board committed to follow up with law enforcement and neighboring districts and to report back to the resident.
