School Safety Study Begins

By Joseph H. Quick, WSPRA Legislative Liaison

A study committee comprised of legislators and public members began its examination of issues around ensuring safe schools. At the first meeting of the Legislative Council Special Committee on School Safety in late July at the Capitol, committee members heard testimony from representatives of the major state education groups.

John Ashley, the Wisconsin Association of School Boards executive director, urged the study group to, "Identyify a flexible funding source to enable schools to meet their diverse school safety expenses, including but not limited to staffing, professional development, curriculum materials, facility upgrades and communication devices."  Ashley also asked the group to look at statutes that the DPI has ruled do not allow a school board to refuse admittance to a student expelled from a school district in another state [Section 120.13 (1) (f)]. School districts do havae the right to refuse admittance to a student expelled from a Wisconsin school district.

The committee has a broad charge that includes a scrutiny of suspension and expulson best practices related to school discipline, creation and implementation of bullying prevention, and interagency coordination with mental health, law enforcement and other relevant agencies.

DPI Assistant Superintendent Tony Evers urged the committee to, "Amend state statutes to allow school districts to move forward with facility repairs without going to referendum for conditions that directly and immediately threaten school safety." Evers noted the tragic deaths of two school administrators over the last few decades, but maintained, "there is not a growing trend nationally or locally for the most serious types of school safety threats that might be addressed.

Sun Prairie teacher Glenn Schmidt, a 31-year teaching veteran, told the committee that while he taught seven elementary special education students in both 1977 and 2008, the most striking difference between the two classes was this: "In 1977 I worked with 14 parents....this year I worked with seven, or fewer. I bring this up to illustrate that schools do not exist in a vacuum. We are not insulated from society's changes."

Luis Yudice, Madison School security coordinator and a member of the study group, said he wants to examine the legal issues around adjudicated youth, in particular, laws that prevent law enforcement and the courts from sharing information with school personnel.

The committee will meet again in September and subsequent months until the end of the year. The goal is to provide recommended legislation around school safety issues to the full Legislature in early 2009.