Valley May Implement Sex Offender Policy
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Monday night, Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. Superintendent Brett Boggs presented the school board with such a policy on registered sex offenders on school grounds. The board will review it and vote on it at their Jan. 18 meeting.
The policy, in recognizing that the safety and welfare of students is paramount, declares that, except in limited circumstances, Valley will not permit registered sex offenders to be on school corporation property.
The policy states that if an administrator or designee becomes aware that a sex offender is on school property, the administrator shall direct the sex offender to leave the area immediately, except under limited circumstances. A registered sex offender may not attend school functions that are held on school property. An administrator may request the assistance of law enforcement to remove a sex offender if the sex offender does not comply. Violations of the policy may subject a person to prosecution of the crime of criminal trespass.
If a student is a registered sex offender, the student may be assigned alternative education.
The policy only applies when the administrator is aware that the person in question is on the sex offender registry. The policy does not prohibit a person from coming on school property if the person's name has been expunged from the sex offender registry.
Limited circumstances may occur when a registered sex offender has either a right or a legitimate educational need to be on the school property. In such a case, prior to entering the school property, the registered sex offender must contact the principal to establish a written Individual Access and Child Protection Plan.
In the case of an emergency situation involving the welfare of a child, a person who is on the sex offender registry may be invited to school for that particular purpose under monitoring established for that event by the school principal.
The National Sex Offender Registry is at www.nsopr.gov
"We're not saying those people can't be on our school property, but if they are, they're here on our terms," said Boggs.
The school board doesn't often split on a vote, but it did Monday night on offering the 457(b) retirement plan.
A resolution and adoption agreement to participate in Indiana Public Employee Deferred Compensation Plan was part of the board's consent agenda. Board member Mark Wise asked to separate it from the other six items in the consent agenda for further discussion.
A 457(b) plan is a government-authorized plan in which employees are allowed to make pretax contributions, according to information provided by the school corporation. Like a 403(b) plan, a 457(b) plan permits employees to save for retirement by offering salary reductions contributions. Currently, Valley sponsors a 403(b) plan in which all of its employees are permitted to participate.
The resolution presented requested Valley become a participating employer in the state-established 457(b) plan. Because Valley is a political subdivision of the state, we can adopt the state plan that already exists rather than creating a new plan in which Valley is the plan sponsor.
The adoption agreement Valley submitted to the state for approval would allow administrators to participate in the plan if they desire. The plan can be expanded in the future to allow for any other employee groups to participate.
Any fees imposed with respect to the services provided will be charged to the participants' accounts and not to Valley. All contributions through the plan will be deducted from employee compensation, Valley will not make or match any contributions.
Wise said he understood the 457(b) retirement plan is limited in scope and Valley would be doing it for a limited number of people. However, he said, they don't know what the future will hold.
"I would just assume we not add that to what we already have," Wise said.
Board member Hal Hoffman agreed. "There's no need to do it, no need to have it in the load," he said.
Board member Bryan Murphy made a motion to approve the resolution and agreement. The board voted 3 to 2 to approve it. Murphy, Rod Eaton and President Dave O'Brien voted in favor, and Wise and Hoffman voted against it.
In other business, the school board:
n Approved the establishment of an advised non-permanent fund agreement with Northern Indiana Community Foundation.
The purpose of the fund is to provide support for the activities of the Tippecanoe Valley Boomerang Backpack program. Valley is in the midst of fundraising to start up the program, which provides take-home meals for needy students. The program needs $50,000 to start up.
n Recognized Akron Elementary School students for participation in Hoosier Cheer for Our Heroes program. Approximately 100 Akron students participated in the program. Students wrote cards to soldiers serving overseas, wishing them a Merry Christmas and thanking them for freedom. A thank-you card from Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman was sent to Akron Elementary on Nov. 19.
n Announced upcoming school board meetings will be Jan. 18 at Burket Educational Center; Feb. 8 at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School; and March 8 at Tippecanoe Valley High School. All meetings are at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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Monday night, Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. Superintendent Brett Boggs presented the school board with such a policy on registered sex offenders on school grounds. The board will review it and vote on it at their Jan. 18 meeting.
The policy, in recognizing that the safety and welfare of students is paramount, declares that, except in limited circumstances, Valley will not permit registered sex offenders to be on school corporation property.
The policy states that if an administrator or designee becomes aware that a sex offender is on school property, the administrator shall direct the sex offender to leave the area immediately, except under limited circumstances. A registered sex offender may not attend school functions that are held on school property. An administrator may request the assistance of law enforcement to remove a sex offender if the sex offender does not comply. Violations of the policy may subject a person to prosecution of the crime of criminal trespass.
If a student is a registered sex offender, the student may be assigned alternative education.
The policy only applies when the administrator is aware that the person in question is on the sex offender registry. The policy does not prohibit a person from coming on school property if the person's name has been expunged from the sex offender registry.
Limited circumstances may occur when a registered sex offender has either a right or a legitimate educational need to be on the school property. In such a case, prior to entering the school property, the registered sex offender must contact the principal to establish a written Individual Access and Child Protection Plan.
In the case of an emergency situation involving the welfare of a child, a person who is on the sex offender registry may be invited to school for that particular purpose under monitoring established for that event by the school principal.
The National Sex Offender Registry is at www.nsopr.gov
"We're not saying those people can't be on our school property, but if they are, they're here on our terms," said Boggs.
The school board doesn't often split on a vote, but it did Monday night on offering the 457(b) retirement plan.
A resolution and adoption agreement to participate in Indiana Public Employee Deferred Compensation Plan was part of the board's consent agenda. Board member Mark Wise asked to separate it from the other six items in the consent agenda for further discussion.
A 457(b) plan is a government-authorized plan in which employees are allowed to make pretax contributions, according to information provided by the school corporation. Like a 403(b) plan, a 457(b) plan permits employees to save for retirement by offering salary reductions contributions. Currently, Valley sponsors a 403(b) plan in which all of its employees are permitted to participate.
The resolution presented requested Valley become a participating employer in the state-established 457(b) plan. Because Valley is a political subdivision of the state, we can adopt the state plan that already exists rather than creating a new plan in which Valley is the plan sponsor.
The adoption agreement Valley submitted to the state for approval would allow administrators to participate in the plan if they desire. The plan can be expanded in the future to allow for any other employee groups to participate.
Any fees imposed with respect to the services provided will be charged to the participants' accounts and not to Valley. All contributions through the plan will be deducted from employee compensation, Valley will not make or match any contributions.
Wise said he understood the 457(b) retirement plan is limited in scope and Valley would be doing it for a limited number of people. However, he said, they don't know what the future will hold.
"I would just assume we not add that to what we already have," Wise said.
Board member Hal Hoffman agreed. "There's no need to do it, no need to have it in the load," he said.
Board member Bryan Murphy made a motion to approve the resolution and agreement. The board voted 3 to 2 to approve it. Murphy, Rod Eaton and President Dave O'Brien voted in favor, and Wise and Hoffman voted against it.
In other business, the school board:
n Approved the establishment of an advised non-permanent fund agreement with Northern Indiana Community Foundation.
The purpose of the fund is to provide support for the activities of the Tippecanoe Valley Boomerang Backpack program. Valley is in the midst of fundraising to start up the program, which provides take-home meals for needy students. The program needs $50,000 to start up.
n Recognized Akron Elementary School students for participation in Hoosier Cheer for Our Heroes program. Approximately 100 Akron students participated in the program. Students wrote cards to soldiers serving overseas, wishing them a Merry Christmas and thanking them for freedom. A thank-you card from Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman was sent to Akron Elementary on Nov. 19.
n Announced upcoming school board meetings will be Jan. 18 at Burket Educational Center; Feb. 8 at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School; and March 8 at Tippecanoe Valley High School. All meetings are at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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