The Willow Glen Resident

District aims to educate parents on Megan's Law

Packets sent to each household in SJUSD

By Cecily Barnes

Two weeks ago, the San Jose Unified School District sent information packets to nearly 30,000 parents, listing tactics for preventing child abduction. The literature explains parents' rights under Megan's Law and gives suggestions for keeping kids safe.

In the packet, parents are urged to teach kids safety techniques many probably already know, such as avoiding strangers, using 911 and never telling callers that they're home alone. While parents acknowledge they've taught their kids these techniques since their children were preschoolers, they agree the information can't hurt.

"I tossed it in the trash," said parent Heidi Hobbs. "But if it helps one person save their kid, it was well worth it."

Less common advice includes suggesting that parents put together a locator packet containing their child's picture, fingerprints and footprints.

"We want to make sure parents know of other things to do to make sure their kids are safe," said Mike Carr, SJUSD's director of student services.

The packet also provides instructions for locating registered sex offenders, a federal right enacted in 1994 with the passage of Megan's Law. The law was passed after 7-year-old Megan Kanka was sexually assaulted and murdered by a convicted sex offender who lived in her neighborhood. Now parents can walk into their local police department and scroll through a database that reveals how many sex offenders live in their neighborhood. Parent Karen Clinton, also president of the Booksin PTA, says she hasn't checked the database yet, but plans to soon.

"I intend to do that," she said. "I think it's every parent's responsibility to do whatever they can to protect their children. I have two young daughters, and one of them walks home from school."

According to the San Jose Police Department's Sexual Assault Unit, 2,500 sex offenders live in San Jose, 70 of them in Willow Glen. While most people must take the initiative to find out where these offenders live, the police will often inform residents if a serious offender moves into the neighborhood.

San Jose Unified has also made a policy of checking for offenders near neighborhood schools, Carr said. If a felon lives nearby, the school will notify parents and teachers.

"We do check to see if registered offenders are very close to our schools, and let parents know if they are," Carr said.

Whether or not they found the information useful, parents agree they appreciate the district's effort to protect their children.

"I don't know how you could argue that you don't want someone else looking out for your kids," said Joe Guerra, president of the Willow Glen Elementary School PTA.

[ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ]