KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including Overland Park, Prairie Village and Leawood. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
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There isn't a law in the State of Kansas prohibiting registered sex offenders from being near school grounds.
Some parents in the Blue Valley School District discovered last month that there also isn't a policy on the district level.
It came up after a Feb. 8 dance at Blue River Elementary School.
The school principal permitted a registered sex offender to be present in a guardian role.
The person was convicted for distribution or receipt of internet child pornography.
Ashleigh Debrunner had a child attending the dance when she noticed the individual, who has been known to many parents since moving to the area.
Debrunner is included in a group of parents who monitor any registered sex offenders who reside near their child's school.
“Really looking forward to the night with my daughter, and there he is right when you walk in. To find out the school had given permission was very upsetting,” Debrunner said.
Debrunner said even though the person was allowed to be there, it made her and other parents uncomfortable.
She said, “Some of us decided we were going to just take our children and leave because we weren’t going to attend the dance with a sexual offender.”
Christine Antes, another parent who had a child at the dance, is among a group who started reviewing district policy and state law.
Antes was shocked to find nothing existed.
“What happened in my community was a failure of policy," Antes said. "Imagine being a principal of a school and not having guidelines or laws to fall back on.”
The Kansas Offender Registration Act has no restrictions on registered sex offenders accessing schools.
Senate Bill 288, introduced by Kansas State Senator Kellie Warren this week, would make it a felony for adult sex offenders to enter school property or attend certain school activities.
The bill is only in its beginning stages and could be modified before a final vote.
"Looking at making a statewide change is amazing and could protect children all over the state of Kansas," Debrunner said.
The school board introduced a draft of a new district policy at their Monday board meeting.
The policy would prevent convicted offenders from attending school-sponsored activities unless certain school officials grant permission in extraordinary circumstances.
Antes thinks it's a "good starting point". Debrunner agreed.
A district spokesperson sent KSHB 41 a statement:
We recognize the concerns our families have shared and appreciate the valuable input from our community as we work to shape Policy 2281. The intent of this policy is to establish clear protocols for school access while prioritizing student safety. At the second reading in April, the Board may adopt or revise the proposed policy. We share our families’ commitment to creating a safe and welcoming school environment and will continue to listen as the Board considers input and works toward finalizing the policy.
Both parents plan to offer feedback at the next school board meeting.
Debrunner said, "I think there are a lot of loopholes that would allow for the same exact situation to happen again."
The parents have said their sole focus is protecting their kids.
They want that to be a priority for their school and policymakers when it comes to other families too.
Antes said, "We’ve got a really good school district and our children should be safe in those buildings."
There's a hearing on Senate Bill 288 in the Kansas Senate on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
The school district is still gathering feedback on their policy. The earliest it would be approved is at their April 14th board meeting.
Conversations could continue in May.
KSHB 41 reached out to every board member of the Blue Valley School District. They either weren't available, didn't answer or declined to comment.
The Overland Park Police Department says it is aware of the situation but is not investigating any complaints.
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