Westport South School prinicipal Jo Duston said schools were often powerless against sex offenders living in the community, especially when schools did not know they were there.
Mrs Duston said she found out yesterday, after reading The News' article. She immediately notified Westport's other schools.
She said she knew where the man lived, and was concerned a family with young children was living next to him.
There was little a school could do, besides ensure its safety procedures were in place, if Corrections did not warn of nearby sex offenders, she said.
"We're powerless because they don't tell us."
South School ran a 'keep yourself safe' programme every year, especially with younger children.
"I don't know what else we can do except remind kids about stranger danger."
Since finding out about the man's history, she had changed her own children's cycle route to school, she said.
"Unless the police or Corrections are going to give us an address where an [offender's] living so we can notify parents, unless they're going to put a notice in the paper, I don't know what else you can do."
She questioned why sex offenders needed to be relocated to Westport. It was scary to think he was in the community, but there were probably a number of other rapists out there no one knew about, Mrs Duston said.
Westport Early Learning Centre senior education manager Amy Kent said she was also concerned "but we do have processes in place to keep the children safe. Their safety is paramount to us."
She was glad she now knew, and wished Corrections had informed her.
"We need to be aware."
Westport Kindergarten education manager Mary-Rose O'Loughlin said the man's presence wouldn't make a difference to the kindergarten's environment, because it had policies and procedures to keep children safe.
"We'll just be vigilant that those procedures are followed."
Corrections told The News notifying the community or neighbours was considered on a case-by-case basis. If specific potential risks were identified, Corrections and police might contact neighbours to advise them an offender was living in the area.
The department refused to comment specifically on the Westport case.
It has not replied to questions about why schools and pre-schools were not notified of his presence in Westport.
WPN er