School Safety
What We Are Doing
- School Resource Officers (SRO) have been added to Wisconsin Hills Middle School and Pilgrim Park Middle School for 2023 going forward. The SRO program continues at the High Schools.
- A reunification exercise was completed in 2022, training a group of students and staff from our high schools in the Standard Reunification Method. A reunification table top exercise was held in 2023 with all administrative staff. Reunification means that if a school had to be evacuated, we could transfer students to another facility to be reunified with their families. These exercises are done in collaboration with the local police and fire departments.
- The School District employs a School Safety Director who oversees safety and security for the District in collaboration with school staff. The Safety Director is certified by the Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association (WSSCA) as a School Safety Coordinator and has completed two certification courses in School Safety Assessment from WSSCA.
- School safety plans are reviewed and updated annually by the Safety Director and school staff. Schools practice at least 14 safety and fire drills throughout the year.
- School safety assessments are performed regularly to check that the school buildings are secure during the school day and to ensure other safety protocols are being followed.
- We follow the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) from the iloveyouguys foundation. The SRP has been recognized by the state of Wisconsin Office of School Safety as best practice response options for emergency situations. SRP is incorporated into the School Safety Plan and training is provided to students and staff every year in these safety principles.
- All visitors and volunteers are screened prior to entering school buildings. Visitors may only come into the schools through the main entrance. All exterior doors are locked during the school day.
- The Speak Up, Speak Out anonymous threat tip reporting system can be accessed via app, web browser, or by phone is sponsored by the Wisconsin Office of School Safety and collaborates with the local police and School Resource Officers in threat detection and risk avoidance. Students receive training at the beginning of the school year to familiarize them with this resource.
- All staff receive annual and ongoing safety training. Additional training is provided to specialized groups of staff such as kitchen staff, front office staff, and facilities staff to enhance safety capabilities in those areas.
School Safety Commitments
- By deploying facility best practices and prioritizing financial resources we will secure our schools
- Through planning and by providing regular safety training we will communicate the importance of staff and student preparedness
- By dedicating time to lead and engage, our leadership will seek to listen and build organizational capacity