September 8, 2009

OH- Juvenile sex offenders pose risks

9-8-2009 Ohio:

Schools try to balance right to public education with safety of students

Ohio school districts are working to balance the rights of juvenile sex offenders to get a public education with the safety of other students and staff.

The Springboro school district in southwest Ohio is tutoring an 18-year-old student at home in part because of the violence of the student's crimes, which were committed several years ago.

The tutoring costs about $10,000 — about $2,000 more than if the student attended regular classes.

''Safety is No. 1. Education is No. 2,'' said Superintendent David Baker. ''You can't do academics in an unsafe environment.''

Baker said there was no way the district could keep the student from enrolling.

Dayton Public Schools place registered juvenile sex offenders at an alternative school for 45 days where the students receive counseling, then move them into regular schools across the district.

Dayton has five sex offenders enrolled this year, said schools spokeswoman Melissa Fowler.

Districts have to be careful about pulling out or segregating students regardless of the reason, said Scott Blake, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education.

The Ohio Department of Youth Services released 81 sex offenders under the age of 18 in the past year.

Xenia schools might allow a sex offender into regular classes or to attend The Academy, where classes are held near the juvenile-court complex for kids with special needs.

School officials also can suggest a home-based alternative, Superintendent Jeff Lewis said. The district is careful to protect the privacy of the offenders, telling only those in the district that need to know about their status.

Miamisburg schools look at educational options from taking classes online to sitting in a regular classroom. The district would not say if it had any juvenile sex offenders currently enrolled.

The district considers many factors when an offender has to take classes, said Miamisburg spokeswoman Jennifer Jones.

''Most importantly the safety of the general student population, the safety of the returning student, and the safety of staff,'' Jones said. ..Source.. by Ohio.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

In every case in every instance in the use of the words "sex offender" - everyone uses children as a means to get their uneducated biased opinion across to others. These people create lies and terror among our young and do nothing to protect them. There is no one piece of truth to what these people say except yes maybe there is a dangerous person among us, yet everyone is grouped as a child sex crazed maniack who will terrorize their children if you dont keep them away from society. What is wrong wtih you people? YOU realize you are separating children from adults by doing this? Dont you think educating them with truth not fiction would be best for their own safety. People pull y our heads out of your behinds and start thinking of reality - give your children the tools to understand the known characteristics of true peodiphiles. Tell them not everyone on the register is a child molester. Protect them tell them the truth - not fabricated political lies.