SBA to vote on policy to ensure sexual offenders not hired for school projects

wvgazette.com
By Amy Julia Harris
December 8, 2011

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia School Building Authority will vote on Monday to update its policies to ensure that illegal immigrants and registered sex offenders are not contracted to work on construction projects at schools throughout the state.

According to the proposed policy change, the School Building Authority will receive signed verification from each of its contractors and subcontractors that no registered sex offenders or illegal immigrants will work on construction sites at West Virginia schools.

"Right now, there is no guarantee they aren't working at our schools," said Mark Manchin, executive director of the SBA. He said so far there have been no issues of construction worker impropriety toward children, but the proposed change is a proactive step to ensure that school kids are safe.

Manchin said that in the wake of the scandal with former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, who allegedly sexually assaulted at least eight underage boys at or near university property, the SBA wanted to beef up its assurances that individuals who do work on school campuses are properly screened.

"We realize that all construction workers are not angels, and many of them are working in close proximity to kids," said Manchin. "The majority of workers are decent, hardworking people, but there are those that we don't want around our children."

The SBA will vote on the proposed policy change at its Dec. 12 meeting.

West Virginia currently has $700 million in planned and active school construction projects statewide, said Manchin. The SBA uses 10 to 12 big contractors to staff those projects and subcontracts many more, said Manchin.

"It ultimately comes down to keeping our children safe," he said.

Reach Amy Julia Harris at amy.har...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-4814.

http://wvgazette.com/News/201112080115