Texas district eases restrictions on parents without proper IDs

Departing from a procedure instituted this year, Del Valle (Texas) school district officials have decided to allow parents without Texas- or U.S.-issued identification to enter campuses and participate in supervised activities, such as classroom volunteering. Parents without the required identification will have to complete a form and have a criminal background check at the school district's main office. They will be required to present another form of identification and, if they pass the background check, will be placed on an accepted visitor list at their children's schools.
Click here to read The Austin American-Statesman article.

EARLIER: Laura Rodriguez wants to chaperon her daughter's class field trip. But she can't get past the Del Valle (Texas) elementary school's front office, much less on the bus, under a new policy requiring parents to present Texas- or U.S.-issued photo identification. As campuses across the country tighten security, many Central Texas schools have incorporated computer software that checks visitors' criminal records to see whether they are registered sex offenders. Del Valle is one of the latest districts to adopt the protocol, which entails running a Texas- or U.S.-issued ID or driver's license through a sex offender database. Then the computer prints a badge with the visitor's name, photograph and destination within the school. A visitor who is a registered sex offender must stay in the office.
Click here to read the Austin American-Statesman article