A policy that could allow registered sex offenders to attend their children's school events is being considered by the Manvel (N.D.) School Board, a district official said Wednesday.
Richard Ray said the board often reviews its policy handbook and this is just the latest look at what it already has in place. "We're just going to follow pretty much the state rules on that," he said.
Chapter 12 of the North Dakota Century Code says registered sex offenders generally are guilty of a Class A misdemeanor if they enter a public or nonpublic school's property.
But there are a few exceptions: An offender can vote in a school if it's used as a public polling place and can also attend open meetings in a school. And they can attend parent-teacher conferences if they have written permission from the school board and they are the parent or guardian of a student attending the school.
Local boards can also allow the offender on school property for other reasons on a "case-by-case basis," the code says, or school officials can adopt a written policy outlining its own rules for other school events.
ADVERTISEMENT
Local decision
Ray said Manvel's board is now considering its own policy, which could help outline when an offender who is also a parent of a student could attend school functions such as plays, programs or sporting events.
"They would have to request permission and then we would make a case-by-case decision," he said.
The most likely policy wording would appoint a designee, such as an administrator or principal, who would decide in each case, Ray said. But he pointed out the policy would not grant the right to all offenders, only those who ask for and get permission.
Ray said no offenders so far have asked for permission to attend school functions.
Some North Dakota school districts have already adopted similar policies.
Assistant Superintendent Jody Thompson said Grand Forks Public Schools adopted its own policy shortly after the state's sex offender laws were changed in 2007. A parent who is a sex offender has to meet with Thompson as well as the principals of their children's schools before the district makes a decision on what they can participate in, he said.
Parents who are approved to attend an event must first check in at the principal's office and sometimes have a chaperone while on school grounds, Thompson said.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We have not had any complaints about it," he said. "I think we've got a pretty solid policy in place."
East Grand Forks Public Schools does not have a similar policy on its books, and Superintendent David Pace said there have been no cases of an offender asking permission to attend a school event.
"In that situation in absence of a district policy, we would just follow (Minnesota) law," he said.
Ray called Manvel's discussion "not anything unusual" because many North Dakota schools are looking at similar policies right now.
"It would individualize the process for our school," he said. "Almost all the school policies are identical, and they're all based off the state law."
Johnson reports on local K-12 education. Reach him at (701) 780-1105; (800) 477-6572, ext. 105; or send e-mail to rjohnson@gfherald.com .
