Felons Volunteering in the Classroom

I've been watching this story develop over time regarding the Grand Rapids school district.  In essence, GR has a policy that many (if not all) schools in the state have: if you are a convicted felon, you cannot volunteer to work at a public school.  (Read the Story Here)  However, there is pushback to thise policy in Grand Rapids.  A number of parents, who are felons, have argued that what they did years, sometimes decades ago, should have no bearing on whether they can help in in school.  A caveat to this is that none of the crimes involved children or violence.  The current policy states that any volunteer must undergo a background check and anyone with convicted felonies are automatically disqualified.  Should a parent want to appeal that decision, that appeal can be made directly to the Superintendent.  Because of a series of signature petitions, the Grand Rapids school board is considering revising the policy.  What do you think?