LEWISBURG — School districts in The Valley are working hard to comply with the new child protection laws. Due to recent legislation passed in Pennsylvania, people working with children face stricter standards, requiring more frequent background checks, and the clearances are more detailed.
Chad Cohrs, superintendent at Selinsgrove school district says while it may be cumbersome at the start, the new law is about protecting children, “The key piece is that the intent of the law is really to protect children. We are certainly supportive of that effort to protect our children. We want to do as much as we possibly can.”
Cohrs explained how the law has changed what is required from teachers, “They need to have all three clearances done every three years. Prior to the new law being implemented, employees got their clearances typically when they were hired and they never had to renew it or have it redone.”
Volunteers working with children are also required to get clearances. Cohrs says the district wants the volunteers to know they are valued, “One of the things they have agreed to is if they get the clearances and volunteer in the district for ten hours, after they have completed that ten hours, the district will actually reimburse them for the cost of the clearances.”
The district has created a volunteer handbook to try to help those interested in working with children in the district get their clearances that are required starting in July. (Ali Stevens)