BY SUSAN WARE

Responding to numerous parents who have sent e-mails and appeared at School Board meetings, the Hooksett School Board is drafting a policy regarding registered sex offenders who set foot on school grounds.

There is currently a registered sex offender who picks up his children at the Fred C. Underhill School each afternoon. This individual qualifies for the state sex offender registry as he was convicted of a 632-A:3, III Felonious Sexual Assault, victim under 13 years of age.

According to policy committee chairman Jim Sullivan, parents are worried.

“We have gotten a lot of input from parents who are very concerned about this individuals presence at the school. Enough so that we needed to take action,” said Sullivan.

In response, the board assembled a committee consisting of Sullivan and a volunteer from each school. The committee has met twice and Sullivan says that they are still in the fact-gathering stage.

“We are consulting with legal counsel to see exactly what rights we have, and what rights this individual has,” said Sullivan.

While the committee is looking to the New Hampshire state guidelines regarding sex offenders as a template, this situation goes beyond the pre-employment or pre-volunteering screening that is done in all schools.

“It is an unusual situation to have the parent be the sex offender, and we really don’t have a policy that addresses this situation,” he said.

Sullivan said he believes the school district cannot prevent this parent from picking his children up after school, but that the district can set some tight boundaries.

The committee is mulling over requiring any parent who is a registered sex offender to have an escort while on school grounds.

The committee is also taking a two-prong approach to educating the public.

When school starts in September, parents will receive a letter discussing the situation, said Sullivan, and one offering tips for parents to keep children safe.

“The first thing we plan on doing to do is promote awareness, direct parents to the state police sex offender Web site and offer information of how people can protect their kids,” said Sullivan.

The committee is looking at all current school safety procedures – such as requiring that parents sign in when entering a school – and making sure that there are actual written policies, said Sullivan.

“There is not only one person we are leery of, but anyone who is on school grounds without school business, like dog walkers who cut through school grounds,” said Sullivan.

Since New Hampshire does not assign levels to sex offenders like neighboring Massachusetts, Sullivan says that whatever policy the board adopts will be a blanket policy for anyone who is a registered sex offender.

In July, the policy subcommittee is meeting with state Rep.David Hess and a member of the Hooksett Police Department to discuss options.

Sullivan said Superintendent Dr. Charles Littlefield is looking to the state representative to see if the Granite State will assign levels to sex offenders. Littlefield spent 20 years in the Methuen School District in Massachusetts and found the use of levels helpful to administrators in regards to policies.

Once the policy subcommittee drafts a registered sex offender policy, it will be given three public readings before it is adopted. These readings will likely occur during scheduled School Board meetings.