Nerison Will Not Seek Re-election
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | March 20, 2018
From WisPolitics.com …
State Rep. Lee Nerison, R-Westby, announced yesterday he will not seek re-election in November.
Nerison, 65, was first elected to the Assembly in 2004. He noted stopping in the Capitol as a kid with his family on his way back to southwestern Wisconsin from Milwaukee Braves games.
“I never dreamed I would end up here, but it has been such an honor to work and serve with so many great people,” Nerison said.
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Assembly Education Public Hearing Tomorrow on School Safety
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | March 19, 2018
The Assembly Education Committee will hold a public hearing on the following six bills at 10:00 am on Tuesday, March 20th in Room 417 North, State Capitol.
- March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 1 -Relating to: grants to schools for school safety and safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment, and facilities; providing an exemption from rule-making procedures; and making an appropriation.
- March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 2 -Relating to: creating an office of school safety in the Department of Justice and making appropriations.
- March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 3 -Relating to: mandatory reporting of suspected intent to carry out violence involving a dangerous weapon or explosive in or targeting a school and providing a criminal penalty.
- March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 4 -Relating to: the Department of Public Instruction’s model school policy on bullying by pupils.
- March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 5 -Relating to: school safety plans.
- March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 6 -Relating to: allowing a school board to share safety camera footage with law enforcement.
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Moulton Will Not Seek Re-election
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | March 19, 2018
From WisPolitics.com …
GOP state Sen. Terry Moulton, of Chippewa Falls, announced this morning he will not seek re-election.
The 71-year-old was elected to the Assembly in 2004 and served two terms before losing the seat in 2008. He then won his Senate seat in 2010.
“When I began my campaign for the Senate, eight years ago this month, my goals were to work for smaller government, reduced tax burden, and a better climate for jobs in Wisconsin,” Moulton said. “We have accomplished all this and more. Income and property taxes are lower, more people are working than ever before, and unemployment is at a 17-year low.”
Moulton is the fifth member of the state Senate to opt against seeking re-election this fall: Sheila Harsdorf, of River Falls, resigned her seat late last year to join the Walker administration, as did fellow Republican Frank Lasee, of DePere. Meanwhile, Republican Leah Vukmir, of Brookfield, is running for the U.S. Senate, and Dem Kathleen Vinehout, of Alma, is running for guv.
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Governor Walker’s Special Session School Safety Proposals
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | March 15, 2018
From The Wheeler Report . . .
Gov. Walker has called a special session on school safety, (EO#278) and has forwarded a $100 million proposal for the legislature to consider. The bills were included at the time of the release which announced the special session. According to his release, Walker’s plan includes:
- Establishing the Office of School Safety under the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice. March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 2.
- Creating a $100 million School Safety Grant Program under the Office of School Safety. March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 1.
- Requiring mandatory reporting for any threats of school violence. March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 3.
- Amending the bullying statue to include prompt parental notification. March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 4.
- Incorporating Trauma-Informed Care and Adverse Childhood Experiences into training programs.
- Strengthening school safety plan requirements. March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 5.
- Encouraging cooperation with local law enforcement. March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 6.
March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 1 – School Safety Grant Program
This bill creates a grant program, administered by DOJ, to award grants to school districts, operators of independent charter schools, governing bodies of private schools, and tribal schools. DOJ must work in consultation with DPI to develop a plan for awarding the grants. The plan must include what expenditures are eligible to be funded by a grant. This bill appropriates $100 million GPR for the Office of School Safety grants. The bill says grants used to employ armed school safety officers may be used to employ only law enforcement officers or former law enforcement officers as armed school safety officers and “may not be used to supplant existing resources used for this purpose. A school that receives a grant to employ armed school safety officers shall demonstrate that the moneys are not supplanting existing resources used for this purpose… A school that receives a grant to employ armed school safety officers may receive a grant for 3 consecutive years without submitting a new application each year. In the first year, the grant shall cover 75 percent of the costs associated with employing armed school safety officers; in the 2nd year, the grant shall cover 50 percent of the costs associated with employing armed school safety officers; and in the 3rd year, the grant shall cover 25 percent of the costs associated with employing armed school safety officers.”
March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 2 – Office of School Safety
This bill creates an office of school safety in the Dept. of Justice. The office must work with DPI to create model practices for school safety, must compile blueprints and geographic information system maps for schools for use by law enforcement agencies in an emergency and must offer training to school staff on school safety.
March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 3 – Mandatory Reporting.
This bill requires professionals who must report suspected child abuse and neglect under current law to also report to a law enforcement agency a reasonable suspicion that a person intends to commit an act of violence involving a dangerous weapon or explosive in or targeting a school. This bill also “explicitly exempts from the state’s requirements for confidentiality of patient health information and allows the disclosure by a health care provider of any suspicion of a patient intending to commit an act of violence involving a dangerous weapon or explosive in or targeting a school.”
March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 4 – Model Bullying Policy.
This bill requires that the parent or guardian of each pupil involved in a bullying incident be notified within 48 hours of the incident being reported to a school district employee.
March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 5 – School Safety Plans.
This bill eliminates the three-year window for schools to have a school safety plan, and instead requires all school boards or governing body of private schools to have a school safety plan in effect. Before creating a plan, school boards or governing bodies must work with local law enforcement to conduct an on-site safety assessment of each school building, site, and facility that is regularly occupied by pupils. The bill requires a school safety plan to include an individualized safety plan for each school building and facility, and specify guidelines and procedures to address specific types of school safety incidents, including school violence and attacks, threats of school violence and attacks, parent-student reunification, and threats to non-classroom events. This bill requires each school board and governing body to ensure pupils are drilled annually in the proper response to a school violence event. This bill requires the school board or governing body to approve its school safety plan at least once every three years, and require the school plan to be submitted annually to the Office of School Safety at DOJ.
March 2018 Special Session Assembly Bill 6 – School Camera Footage.
This bill creates a specific exception to privacy required for pupil records for safety camera footage that is made available to a law enforcement agency if sharing that footage serves a legitimate safety interest.
Additionally, Walker signed EO#279, which directs the State of Wisconsin to help schools in contracting for school safety and security equipment. The EO says Walker directs DOA, State Bureau of Procurement to:
- Consults with school CESA and public safety officials on school security and safety purchasing needs.
- Conduct an analysis of State of Wisconsin contracts to determine which provide security and safety supplies, equipment, and services needed by schools.
- Address gaps in supplies, equipment, and services not currently provided on state contracts by creating new security and safety contracts available to schools.
- Work with suppliers and service providers to enable schools to conveniently purchase equipment, supplies, and services at favorable prices and terms.
- Create a school-focused webpage with links to contract resources that may be used by public school districts to purchase security and safety supplies, equipment, and services.
- Encourage vendors to extend State contract pricing and terms to private schools in Wisconsin.
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Walker Calls School Safety Special Session
By Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance staff | March 15, 2018
Governor Scott Walker today called for a special session of the Wisconsin State Legislature to pass his comprehensive School Safety Plan.
See Governor Walker’s press release.
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