KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including Overland Park, Prairie Village and Leawood. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
The Kansas legislative session adjourned last week, and a bill some parents were fighting for didn't pass.
Senate Substitute for HB 2164 would have banned adult sex offenders convicted of crimes against minors from being on school property.
Though the bill died, Blue Valley School District board members unanimously passed a similar policy on Monday.
KSHB 41 has been following these discussions from the beginning after a registered sex offender attended the Blue River Elementary School dance with permission.
Policy 2281 bans an adult on the Kansas Sex Offender Registry and convicted of crimes against minors from being on school property or attending school-sponsored activities.
The difference in the adopted policy and proposed state law is that a Blue Valley student listed on the registry is required to have an approved safety plan to be on school property.
Christine Antes has a child at Blue River Elementary School. She's been advocating at the Capitol and on the district level.
"For those on the registry, I really do hope the best and best wishes for rehabilitation, and when they get off the registry — welcome to the schools," Antes said.
Antes believes the bill introduced at the Capitol was headed in the right direction but needed more work.
She thought about smaller towns that have multiple purposes for their schools.
Antes said: "I didn’t know churches happen at schools when they’re starting out. I don’t want to impact communities such as that. They’re allowed to go to weddings and celebrate religions they choose. This is just to protect the kids at school."
The district's policy does mention that it won't impose responsibility on school employees to review the registry and determine whether an offender should be there. However, school board member Clay Norkey thought it needed more clarification.
He voted to pass the policy, along with all of his colleagues, but the district will also review administrative guidelines at their next meeting.
"I want to make sure this is crystal clear: it's the offender that's violating this policy," Norkey said.
Dr. Tonya Merrigan and other board members agreed the district should establish clear guidelines.
Dr. Merrigan said the district sent out the policy to families in the district for feedback. In the responses they did receive, people did not want exceptions for the offenders included.
As a parent, Antes said she will fight for her kids, and she will continue next legislative session if the bill comes up again.
"This was the hill that I chose," Antes said. "I would've never thought that in my older age that I would be standing at a school district meeting fighting for a policy to protect kids."
Kansas Senator Kellie Warren introduced HB 2164 and said she looks forward to continuing work on the bill and bringing it forward next session.
She sent KSHB 41 a statement over the weekend:
"Especially while we recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, I want to thank everyone who worked so hard on the bill that would keep kids at school safe from sex offenders who prey on minors. Unfortunately, the bill did not come up for a vote so I look forward to continuing discussions in the legislature and with parents, prosecutors, teachers, counselors and others for next session when we will work together to bring the bill back again."