The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) operates the state’s Office of School Safety, which administers safety grants, provides training and recommends resources to help schools improve their security.
WCRIS worked with lawmakers to pass 2017 Act 143 during the 2017-19 biennium.
2017 Act 143 created the Office of School Safety, established a school safety grant and changed the state’s schools safety laws.
The school safety grants provided $100 million for safety improvements. Schools could request up to $20,000 for locks, doors and other safety measures.
WCRIS worked closely with the DOJ staff to get private schools’ questions answered.
At the end of the grant period, the Legislative Audit Bureau praised the grant and reported that 49 percent of private schools applied. The DOJ also reported that $10.3 million in grants were awarded to private schools.
2017 Act 143 also included changes to the law regarding school safety. More information about current schools safety laws can be found here. You can also read pages 65 – 67 of the 2020-21 WCRIS Legal Handbook.
One condition of a school receiving a grant was to train their staff in Trauma-Informed Care. WCRIS worked with the DOJ and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to ensure that affordable training was available for private schools across the state.
In addition, the DOJ has a library of school safety resources for schools to access. You can find those resources here.
