Board of Education Meeting Recap
November 5th, 2024
Safety and Security Update
Relevant Policy: Operational Expectations (OE) 10: Learning Environment/Student Behavior
Deputy Superintendent Chad Wiese, School Resource Officer (SRO) Stoll, Verona Police Chief Dave Dresser, and Verona Police Lieutenant Jeremy Hatfield provided the BOE with a safety update. Chief Dresser impressed upon the BOE the highly positive and collaborative relationship between VASD and VPD, specifically thanking Dr. Clardy, Deputy Superintendent Wiese, Principal Cox, and the Verona Area High School (VAHS) team.
VASD and the VPE reaffirmed their commitment to working to protect the safety and well-being of every student and staff member.
School Resource Officer Brad Stoll provided a first-month update highlighting eight Standard Response Protocol (SRP) drills and collaborative investigations designed to maintain safe schools while strengthening student relationships. VASD and VPD also continue their partnership with Be SMART, a national initiative promoting responsible gun storage and safety awareness. Families are encouraged to secure firearms, model responsible behavior, and engage in open conversations about gun safety. The VPD also offers free gun locks and supports youth engagement through its cadet program.
Safety preparedness is an ongoing districtwide effort, with monthly fire drills, semi-annual tornado drills, and quarterly critical incident drills conducted across all schools. Building Emergency Response Teams (BERT) hold tabletop exercises twice yearly, and both staff and students are trained in the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM), ensuring coordinated and effective responses during emergencies. Informational videos about SRP and SRM in English and Spanish are available on the VASD website at this link.
VASD continues to strengthen physical and digital safety measures. Key features include buzz-in door systems, visitor registration, sex offender registry checks, shatter-proof film on windows, enhanced security cameras, and locked classroom doors. The VASD maintains 288 security cameras, monitored by administrators and security personnel. A transition to the Axis Camera Station Pro platform and new server infrastructure will provide more reliable, user-friendly monitoring. In addition, the VASD uses a “Patrol Points” mobile app at VAHS to document door checks and monitor high-traffic areas.
Safety tips submitted via the VASD tipline are actively reviewed and addressed. The newly launched Navigate360 platform streamlines communication during emergencies, enabling instant notifications, two-way messaging with first responders, real-time attendance checks, reunification planning, and detailed safety reporting. This tool enhances coordination and accountability, allowing VASD to continuously refine safety practices and meet state requirements.
The VASD collaborates closely with first responders, meeting monthly with VPD, Fitchburg Police Department, Fitchrona EMS, and the Verona Fire Department. A multi-department training exercise is planned at VAHS in late October to further strengthen readiness.
Leaders also reviewed Wisconsin’s 2017 Act 143, which mandates safety assessments, violence response drills, and law enforcement partnerships. Each school must maintain an individualized safety plan and conduct annual drills, with reports submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Office of School Safety. The VASD remains compliant with all requirements, leveraging available state safety grants to fund training, technology, and facility improvements.
VASD will continue to refine its safety practices, conduct ongoing staff training, and prepare for upcoming Board approval of updated School Safety Plans under Act 143. Plans are also underway for a Youth Court and expanded family and community partnerships focused on prevention, education, and wellness.
The group reflected on what it means to keep students safe while maintaining a positive, trusting, and welcoming school climate.
Member Peguero opened the conversation by asking SRO Stoll how students, staff, and the community have responded to his presence at VAHS and around VASD. SRO Stoll shared that the response has been overwhelmingly positive, and that students regularly engage him in conversation and seem to view him as an adult who is accessible and approachable.
Member Murphy expressed gratitude to the high school’s administrative and security teams for their measured and thoughtful approach to responding to situations, emphasizing that safety in schools is about relationships and responsibility, not enforcement or “policing.” Verona Police Chief Dave Dresser echoed that sentiment, commending the school’s systems and the teamwork between administrators, staff, and law enforcement, which makes their collective work more effective.
Member White asked about the VASD’s potential participation in Dane County Youth Court, a restorative justice program focused on accountability and learning. SRO Stoll noted that there are two active programs, Briarpatch and Dane County, and that VASD will meet with both soon to explore partnership opportunities. Chief Dresser confirmed that the VPD already collaborates with Dane County Youth Court and supports restorative approaches when appropriate. SRO Stoll also recently participated in a Restorative Circle in VASD as part of VASD’s Restorative Practices approach. He described it as a positive and meaningful experience.
Member Murphy highlighted the importance of shared responsibility, reminding the community that gun safety and violence prevention extend beyond schools. She asserted that when an incident happens, eyes often turn to schools, but it takes all of us in society to help our students be healthy and safe.
Member Peguero and Chief Dresser both underscored the importance of mental health awareness and support, emphasizing that adults play a key role in recognizing when students are struggling and connecting them with appropriate help.
Member Hanes asked how community input helps guide decisions about the most effective use of safety resources. Chief Dresser and Lt. Hatfield explained that while physical security measures, such as hardened doors, upgraded technology, and controlled access are valuable, they are not the full solution. True safety depends on training, relationships, and awareness.
Lt. Hatfield noted that while high-tech solutions like metal detectors might look appealing on paper, they are not always practical or effective in a school setting. Not only are these systems costly, they must also be staffed, maintained, and balanced with the goal of creating a welcoming environment. The VASD’s decision to focus on relationships, proactive reporting systems, and strong partnerships has produced meaningful outcomes, such as zero citations issued in SRO Stoll’s first month and students using the tip line to report concerns like bullying.
Member Stier Christensen shared her appreciation for the VASD's emphasis on relationship building and asked how parents can become more comfortable communicating with other families about safety concerns. Deputy Superintendent Wiese shared that roughly 25% of all tip line submissions come from parents and that the VASD consistently includes tip line information in its communications. Member Stier Christensen encouraged efforts to normalize the use of the tip line, even when families are unsure whether an issue warrants a report.
Chief Dresser expressed his appreciation for the BOE’s trust and ongoing partnership, and Member Peguero reiterated that the VASD’s focus is on relationships, not policing. He acknowledged that some families have expressed concern about having police in schools and emphasized that the role of an SRO is rooted in mentorship and safety, not discipline. SRO Stoll affirmed this, noting that the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) emphasizes the SRO’s role in building relationships and engaging in law enforcement only when necessary.
Chief Dresser added that VPD and the VASD are committed to “humanizing the badge” by maintaining open communication and visibility. He noted that SRO Stoll’s consistent presence in the high school atrium is a symbolic reminder that the SRO is there as a resource and partner. Member White thanked Chief Dresser for meeting directly with parents who had concerns, calling that outreach an important gesture that helped build understanding and trust.
The BOE also discussed student use of e-bikes and electronic scooters on and near school property. Member Hanes raised concerns about the speed and safety of these devices. Chief Dresser confirmed that the City of Verona has received many similar complaints and is currently updating its ordinances. The VASD has shared safety reminders in the VASD newsletter and with principals, and SRO Stoll has been in conversation with students, staff, and families about responsible riding.
The conversation closed with a shared recognition that school safety is not achieved through hardware or enforcement alone, but through trust, care, and community partnerships. The BOE and law enforcement leaders expressed deep appreciation for the VASD’s collaborative approach and for the professionalism of staff who keep students safe every day while maintaining a learning environment built on respect and belonging.
Wisconsin Guarantee Discussion
Relevant Policy: N/A Compliance with State Law
Executive Director of Academic Services Amy Engelkins and VAHS Principal Brian Cox provided context for the BOE’s discussion about tie-breaking criteria for the Wisconsin Guarantee, an opportunity based on Wisconsin Act 95 designed to streamline the admissions process for qualified students to the University of Wisconsin (UW) System Schools.
VASD and all other Wisconsin school districts are mandated by law to comply with the requirements of Act 95. The Wisconsin Guarantee offers guaranteed admission to most UW System Schools for all who qualify. First-year/freshman applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 10% of their class at the end of 11th grade will be guaranteed admission to most UW System Schools except UW-Madison; those in the top 5% are also guaranteed admission to UW-Madison. According to Act 95, “Pupils shall be ranked on the basis of academic achievement and the sole criterion for ranking pupils shall be the pupil's grade point average (GPA)”. If, however, more than 5% or 10% of students have the highest possible GPA, Boards of Education may submit a waiver to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for permission to use criteria in addition to GPA to determine the top 5% and top 10% of students.
Because many students earn identical GPAs, VASD must use tiebreaker criteria if necessary to determine the top 5% and top 10%.
No tiebreakers were needed for the class of 2025, when 23/462 students, or 5%, had 4.0 GPAs at the end of their junior year, when the information is required to be sent to UW System Schools. For the class of 2026, all three tiebreaker criteria were used in the process to determine the top 5% and one tiebreaker criterion was used to determine the top 10%. Tiebreaker criteria included the following:
Total number of credits earned at VAHS, through an approved VAHS partnership, or from a previous full-time high school before enrolling at VAHS.
Total number of Advanced Placement (AP) credits earned at VAHS or transferred from another full-time high school.
Highest composite ACT score from the state-mandated test taken in the spring of junior year.
Greater Dane County School District Governance Consortium Meeting
The Greater Dane County School District Governance Consortium will meet on Thursday, October 9th, at the Madison Metropolitan School District Holtzman Learning Center at 333 Holtzman Road in Madison. BOE members, please RSVP to Lorrie Jensen.
