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Board adopts policy barring certain registered offenders from district property; administrative guidelines to follow
Summary
After discussion and suggested clarifying language about enforcement, the Blue Valley Board of Education approved a policy prohibiting adults registered on the Kansas Public Offender Registry for specified crimes from district property and school-sponsored events, and directed staff to provide administrative guidelines.
The Blue Valley Board of Education voted 7-0 on April 14 to adopt a policy designed to bar certain registered offenders from district property and school-sponsored activities, and asked administration to return with administrative guidelines clarifying enforcement procedures.
Why it matters: The policy addresses community safety and access to schools by adults listed on the Kansas Public Offender Registry for crimes against minors. Board members debated wording and chain-of-command concerns about who would act if a suspected offender were present on school property.
What the policy says: Melissa Hillman read the proposed language to the board: “No person 18 or older who is registered on the Kansas Public Offender Registry as a result of the commission of a *** crime against a minor child shall be allowed on any school district property or attend any school sponsored activity, event, or program, except for those adults who are current Blue Valley students. For purposes of this policy, *** crimes are defined in KSA 21-5501 et seq. Any Blue Valley student who is on the offender registry with a legal right to attend school will require a safety plan that has been approved by the director of safety and security and the superintendent before beginning. Nothing in this policy is intended to impose a duty upon any district administrator, employee, or board member to review the Kansas public offender registry to determine the presence of offenders in the community.”
Board discussion: Board member Clay Norkey urged clearer active language and asked that the policy avoid implying staff must act as enforcers. Norkey recommended replacing passive phrasing so the policy states that a covered offender “shall not enter onto or remain on district property,” arguing that the onus should be on the offender, not on teachers or other staff. Several board members said they expected law enforcement, campus police or the district’s director of safety and security to handle suspected violations; the board did not want individual teachers or parents to become de facto enforcers. General counsel (Melissa Hillman) said she had discussed the language with Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howell, who was supportive of the draft.
Board action and next steps: Board member Jan moved to approve Policy 02/1981 as presented “with administrative guidelines to follow”; Jim seconded. The motion passed 7-0. The board directed administration to provide administrative guidelines or procedures that specify operational steps — for example, involving law enforcement or the director of safety and security — and to return to the board in May with those details.
Context: Board members said the district had circulated draft language for community comment and received limited feedback, with some community responses favoring no exceptions. The board noted that the legislature considered a related statute in the session but that the bill did not pass this year; staff told the board the same or a similar bill is expected back next year.
