Mineral Point School District | District to Receive State Safety Grant

Joelle Doye | Posted June 29, 2018

Attorney General Brad Schimel announced June 28 a list of 147 schools and school districts that have been awarded the next round of grants through the Wisconsin Department of Justice School Safety Grant program, administered by DOJ’s Office of School Safety. Combined, the 147 schools and school districts will receive $10,253,487 which will be spent on building safety improvements, as well as training for faculty and staff. More grants will be awarded soon. A list of all 735 schools and school districts that have requested grant funds is available on the DOJ website.

A list of schools and school districts that have been awarded school safety grants is at the bottom of this news release. Mineral Point Unified School District will receive $61,125.

“The DOJ Office of School Safety is moving fast to award school safety grants,” said Attorney General Schimel. “The nearly $10 million grants being awarded to large and small schools across the state, incentivizes school officials and law enforcement to make meaningful improvements to Wisconsin school safety through physical improvements and a focus on mental health training for school faculty.”

Grant dollars are divided into two categories: the Primary School Safety Grant and Advanced School Safety Grant. DOJ’s Primary School Safety Grants focus on baseline improvements to schools, including door locks and hardening school entryways. The Advanced School Safety Grants are awarded to schools that have met minimum security thresholds. In addition to making upgrades to school buildings, one of the School Safety Grant prerequisites is providing all full-time teachers, aides, counselors, and administrators with a minimum of three hours combined training in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and Trauma Informed Care/Trauma Sensitive Schools (TIC/TSS) before the end of the 2018-2019 school year; or demonstrate that staff has already received such training. Highlights from the school safety grant applications include such improvements as:

Securing school entry areas with shatter resistant film;
Improving visitor screening through internal and external security camera, video/audio surveillance, key card access, door fob, an entrance buzzer system and reconfiguration of entry doors;
Updating internal classroom locks, including electronic locking devices;
Increase communication throughout the entire school through PA system upgrades, intercom capabilities, and panic buttons;
Installing playground security fencing; and,
Training for all staff on trauma sensitive schools, threat assessment and prevention, youth mental health, and armed intruders.

Over the past three months, since 2017 Wisconsin Act 143 was signed into law, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has consulted with numerous stakeholders in the fields of education, security, law enforcement, and mental health. These specialists, listed at the end of this press release, worked with DOJ’s own security experts to develop how the School Safety Grant Initiative will create sustainable improvements in Wisconsin schools.

“Wisconsin schools need to be safe for everyone from students, to parents and teachers,” said Governor Walker. “Our $100 million School Safety Plan is helping bring together schools and law enforcement to ensure our kids have a safe learning environment because no one should feel unsafe in a school.”

Grant applicants are required to partner with law enforcement agencies to ensure that proposed expenditures, visitor protocols, and school safety plans will be effective and provide students with the safest learning environment possible.

In addition to helping keep schools safe from violent attacks, DOJ will be closely monitoring for behavior that could affect a school’s ability to pay market rates for products like door locks and shatter-resistant film for glass. DOJ will review and investigate any instances of inappropriate pricing behavior so the benefits of the program are not reduced.

Following is a list of organizations who have met with DOJ staff, and consulted on the creation of the Office of School Safety and the grant process and criteria:

Association of Wisconsin School Administrators
Badger State Sheriffs Association
CESA 4, 7, 10
Federal Bureau of Investigation
NAMI-WI
Wisconsin Association of School Boards
Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials
Wisconsin Association of School District,,, Administrators
Wisconsin Association of School Nurses
Wisconsin Catholic Conference
Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association
Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services
Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools
Wisconsin Department of Administration
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Wisconsin Education Association Council
Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
Wisconsin Juvenile Officers Association
Wisconsin Professional Police Association
Wisconsin Retired Educators’ Association
Wisconsin Safe and Healthy Schools Training & Technical Assistance Center
Wisconsin School Music Association/Wisconsin Music Educators Association
Wisconsin School Psychologists Association
Wisconsin School Public Relations Association
Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association
Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association

For more information on DOJ’s Office of School Safety, please visit: https://www.doj.state.wi.us/office-school-safety/office-school-safety

List of schools awarded grants on June 28, 2018:

Adams-Friendship Area School District, $79,637;
Alma Center School District, $56,803;
Arrowhead UHS School District, $21,485;
Ashland School District, $93,062;
Ashwaubenon School District, $99,870;
Black Hawk School District, $54,147;
Bowler School District, $39,040;
Brighton #1 School District, $20,000;
Brillion School District, $57,393;
Cadott Community School District, $60,990;
Cameron School District, $87,827;
Cedar Grove-Belgium Area School District, $65,041;
Cedarburg School District, $120,000;
Central High School District, of Westosha, $12,172;
Christ Alone Lutheran School, $21,255;
Christ-St Peter Lutheran School, $19,376;
Cornell School District, $60,634;
Coulee Christian School, $19,801;
Crown of Life Evangelical Lutheran School, $17,640;
Denmark School District, $89,955;
Divine Savior Catholic School (Fredonia), $17,900;
Dodgeville School District, $81,935;
Durand-Arkansaw School District, $42,431;
East Troy Community School District, $80,000;
Edgerton School District, $86,090;
Eleva-Strum School District, $42,790;
First Immanuel Lutheran School, $18,455;
Fond du Lac School District, $296,850;
Freedom Area School District, $60,000;
Geneva J4 School District, $20,000;
Gilmanton School District, $61,907;
Grafton School District, $83,836;
Green Bay Area Catholic Education – GRACE, $153,990;
Green Bay Area Public School District, $835,092;
Greendale School District, $126,757;
Greenfield School District, $118,537;
Gresham School District, $40,000;
Hartford J1 School District, $65,087;
Heritage Christian Schools, $19,969;
Hilbert School District, $17,476;
Holy Family Catholic Grade School, $19,814;
Holy Ghost-Immaculate Conception School, $8,655;
Holy Spirit School, $21,397;
Kickapoo Area School District, $30,783;
Kohler School District, $61,150;
La Crosse School Safety Initiative, $266,373;
Lake Geneva School District, $110,192;
Lancaster Community School District, $61,966;
Laona School District, $40,000;
Lomira School District, $85,364;
Lumen Christi Catholic School, $19,950;
Mellen School District, $21,139;
Menomonee Falls School District, $131,808;
Merrill Area School District, $108,753;
Merton Community School District, $37,716;
Messmer Catholic Schools, $21,064;
Milwaukee Center for Independence, $11,133;
Mineral Point Unified School District, $61,125;
Montello School District, $61,275;
Mother of Good Counsel Grade School, $19,795;
Mount Olive Lutheran Christian Day School, $15,760;
Mount Zion Christian School, $9,152;
Mukwonago School District, $164,010;
Neenah Joint School District, $267,079;
Neillsville School District, $44,080;
New Auburn School District, $42,880;
New Glarus School District, $62,540;
New Hope Christian School (Fox Crossing), $20,000;
New London School District, $187,627;
North Cape School District, $22,584;
North Fond du Lac School District, $79,983;
North Lake School District, $5,625;
Northern Ozaukee School District, $64,691;
Notre Dame School of Milwaukee, $21,200;
Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, $218,541;
Oconomowoc Area School District, $160,000;
Oostburg School District, $59,908;
Oshkosh Area School District, $459,776;
Pacelli Catholic Schools, $83,594;
Paris J1 School District, $20,000;
Peace Lutheran Elementary (Hartford), $20,720;
Penfield Montessori Academy, Inc., $20,900;
Platteville School District, $93,476;
Plum City School District, $32,128;
Port Washington-Saukville School District, $124,906;
Poynette School District, $82,665;
Prairie Catholic School, $21,340;
Prairie Farm Public School District, $35,309;
Prescott School District, $83,729;
Raymond #14 School District, $18,580;
Richland School District, $97,636;
Richmond School District, $19,421;
Ripon Area School District, $161,447;
Riverdale School District, $63,211;
Roncalli Catholic High School, $20,000;
Saint Augustine Preparatory Academy, $21,495;
Saint Boniface Grade School, $20,465;
Saint Croix Falls School District, $79,925;
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic, $20,000;
Saint Francis Borgia Grade School, $19,982;
Saint Francis School District, $65,600;
Saint Francis Xavier Grade School (Cross Plains), $18,998;
Saint Jacobi Lutheran School (Greenfield), $20,056;
Saint James Lutheran Grade School (Shawano), $20,488;
Saint Joseph School, $8,503;
Saint Patrick School (Sparta), $12,057;
Saint Paul Lutheran School (Grafton), $19,840;
Saint Rose of Lima School, $20,713;
Seeds of Health Inc ., $61,845;
Seneca Area School District, $57,829;
Sheboygan Falls School District, $37,755;
Shiocton School District, $18,807;
Silver Lake J1 School District, $17,057;
Slinger School District, $13,208;
Southwestern Wisconsin School District, $42,580;
Spooner Area School District, $84,379;
St. Ann Catholic School (Stoughton), $18,726;
St. John Vianney Catholic School, $20,000;
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran School, $20,013;
St. Maria Goretti School, $18,320;
St. Mary Catholic Schools, $100,000;
St. Mary School Luxemburg, $14,990;
St. Mary’s School, $19,754;
St. Mary’s Springs Academy, $21,690;
St. Paul’s Lutheran School, $19,445;
St. Paul’s Lutheran School, $19,956;
St. William Grade School (Janesville), $18,041;
Stratford School District, $65,312;
Superior School District, $152,261;
Swallow School District, $20,000;
Tomah Area School District, $226,906;
Trinity Lutheran Grade School, $21,854;
Trinity Lutheran School, $10,441;
Valders Area School District, $45,761;
Walworth Jt No. 1 Schools, $20,000;
Waterford Graded J1 School District, $79,675;
Waukesha School District, 518,605;
Wauzeka-Steuben School District, $55,939;
West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, $272,097;
Westfield School District, $102,412;
Wheatland J1 School District, $20,390;
White Lake School District, $40,900;
Whitefish Bay School District, $80,841;
Whitnall School District, $108,879;
Wisconsin Dells School District, $107,290;
Wonewoc-Union Center School District, $66,432;
Wrightstown Community School District, $55,346;

Specific building improvement details are not being released at this time. If released publicly, such information could negatively impact school safety measures, enable individuals to evade school security, and endanger the safety of students, teachers, and other school employees.