118.045
118.045
Commencement of school term. 118.045(1)
(1) Except as provided in
subs. (2) and
(3), beginning in the year 2000, no public school may commence the school term until September 1.
118.045(2)
(2) Subsection (1) does not prohibit a school board from doing any of the following:
118.045(2)(a)
(a) Holding athletic contests or practices before September 1.
118.045(2)(b)
(b) Scheduling in-service days or work days before September 1.
118.045(3)
(3) A school board may commence the school term before September 1 in any school year if the school board requests the department to allow it to commence the school term before September 1 and the school board includes reasons with its request. The department may grant a request only if it determines that there are extraordinary reasons for granting it. The department shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this subsection.
118.045 History
History: 1999 a. 9;
2001 a. 16.
118.045 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
PI 27, Wis. adm. code.
118.05
118.05
School conservation camps. 118.05(1)
(1) To promote an understanding of geology, geography, conservation, nature study and other aspects of general knowledge which are learned best by actual contact with nature itself, any school district may establish, operate and maintain and levy taxes to support individually or in cooperation with other school districts or municipalities a school conservation camp. The camp need not be within the school district.
118.05(2)
(2) The school board of any such district may operate, contribute to the operation of, participate in the joint operation of, pay or charge fees for the operation of the school conservation camp. The school board may admit nonresident pupils as well as resident pupils of the school district. The school board shall determine age and other entrance requirements and the program to be offered. The camp may be operated in summer or at any other time that the school board determines.
118.05(3)
(3) The school board may acquire, rent or accept the free use of facilities and equipment to operate the camp and may accept private contributions of any kind.
118.05(4)
(4) The school board may conduct the camp on property under the custody of other municipal, state or federal agencies when permission is granted or on private property with consent of the owner.
118.05(5)
(5) Every state agency shall cooperate in making their staff and facilities available to further the objectives of this program.
118.06
118.06
Flag, pledge of allegiance, and national anthem. 118.06(1)(1) Every school board and the governing body of every private school shall cause the U.S. flag to be displayed in the schoolroom or from a flagstaff on each school ground during the school hours of each school day.
118.06(2)
(2) Every public school shall offer the pledge of allegiance or the national anthem in grades one to 12 each school day. Every private school shall offer the pledge of allegiance or the national anthem in grades one to 12 each school day unless the governing body of the private school determines that the requirement conflicts with the school's religious doctrines. No pupil may be compelled, against the pupil's objections or those of the pupil's parents or guardian, to recite the pledge or to sing the anthem.
118.06 History
History: 1993 a. 492;
2001 a. 16.
118.07
118.07
Safety requirements. 118.07(1)(1) Every school board and the governing body of every private school shall provide a standard first aid kit for use in cases of emergency.
118.07(2)(a)(a) Once each month, without previous warning, the person having direct charge of any public or private school shall drill all pupils in the proper method of departure from the building as if in case of fire, except when the person having direct charge deems that the health of the pupils may be endangered by inclement weather conditions.
118.07(2)(b)
(b) Annually the person having direct charge of any public or private school shall file a report pertaining to such drills on forms furnished by the department of commerce. Such reports shall be made to the department of commerce and, in each community having a recognized fire department, to the chief of the fire department. When no fire drill is held during any month, the person having direct charge of the school shall state the reasons therefor in the report.
118.08
118.08
School zones; crossings. 118.08(1)
(1) On any street or highway which borders the grounds of any public or private school in which school is held for a term of not less than 6 months, the authority in charge of the maintenance of the street or highway shall erect black and yellow "school" warning signs. The authority may also designate school crossings across any street or highway, whether or not the street or highway borders on the grounds of a school.
118.08(2)
(2) All signs required by this section and their installation shall comply with standards adopted by the department of transportation.
118.09(1)(1) Every school district maintaining a school outside the corporate limits of a city or village shall provide at the school site a zone which will provide safety for pupils from vehicular traffic during loading and unloading of pupils at the school. The zone may consist of a widening toward or into the schoolyard of the traveled portion of the adjacent highway so as to permit a vehicle to stop in the extended area completely clear of such traveled portion or may be constructed wholly within the schoolyard with connecting roads to the adjacent highway. The zone and approaches from the highway for use of vehicles shall be graveled or hard-surfaced.
118.09(2)
(2) The school district shall cooperate with the agency of the town, county or state having jurisdiction of the highway to the end that matters pertaining to the highway will be properly protected. Contracts for the necessary materials and construction and maintenance, including snow removal, of zones may be entered into with the county or town or with private persons. If the contracting party does not have jurisdiction over the highway, the contract shall be approved by the agency of the state, county or town having jurisdiction over the highway before any work is commenced thereunder.
118.09(3)
(3) All loading and unloading of pupils at the school, whether transported by a public or private vehicle, shall take place in the safety zone. The operator of a vehicle under contract to transport pupils to the school shall have necessary police powers so that pupils will be properly safeguarded in loading and unloading at the zone and while the operator's vehicle is approaching and leaving the zone. The operator shall first alight before loading or unloading pupils at the zone, and while at stops on the operator's highway route to load and unload pupils, the operator shall exhibit the vehicle's stop sign.
118.09(4)
(4) Private schools shall comply with this section to the same extent as school districts.
118.09 History
History: 1993 a. 492.
118.10
118.10
School safety patrols. Any school board may organize school safety patrols and, with the permission of the parents, appoint pupils as members thereof for the purpose of influencing and encouraging the other pupils to refrain from crossing public highways at points other than at regular crossings and for the purpose of directing pupils not to cross highways at times when the presence of traffic would render such crossing unsafe. Nothing in this section authorizes or permits the use of any safety patrol member for the purpose of directing vehicular traffic, nor may any safety patrol member be stationed in that portion of the highway intended for the use of vehicular traffic. No liability shall attach to the school district or any individual, school board member, school district administrator, teacher or other school authority by virtue of the organization, maintenance or operation of a school safety patrol organized, maintained and operated under this section.
118.10 History
History: 1997 a. 113.
118.105
118.105
Control of traffic on school premises. 118.105(1)
(1) Any school board may request local authorities to control motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic on off-highway school premises located within the jurisdiction of such local authorities.
118.105(2)
(2) If the governing body of any town, city or village by ordinance regulates the operation and parking of motor vehicles on off-highway public school premises, school drives or parking lots or pedestrian traffic on any such drives or parking lots, the school board may enter into written agreements with such governing body for reimbursement of the cost of enforcing such ordinance.
118.105(3)
(3) Nothing in this section shall preclude the governing body of any town, city or village from repealing ordinances regulating the operation or parking of motor vehicles on off-highway public school premises, drives or parking lots or regulating pedestrian traffic on such drives or parking lots without prior consent of a school board which requested enactment of such ordinance.
118.105 History
History: 1975 c. 251.
118.11
118.11
School fences. The school district shall erect and maintain all the fence necessary to enclose the school site or grounds without any financial burden on the holders of adjoining properties.
118.12
118.12
Sale of goods and services at schools. 118.12(1)(a)(a) Except as provided under
par. (b), any person may sell or promote the sale of goods or services on school district or cooperative educational service agency property.
118.12(1)(b)
(b) A school board may adopt written resolutions governing the sale and promotion of goods and services on school district property. The board of control of a cooperative educational service agency may adopt written resolutions governing the sale and promotion of goods and services on agency property. The resolutions may prohibit, restrict or provide guidelines for such sales and promotions.
118.12(2)(a)(a) No school district employee may receive for his or her personal benefit anything of value from any person other than his or her employing school district to sell, promote the sale of or act as an agent or solicitor for the sale of any goods or services to any public school pupil while on the property of his or her employing school district or at an activity of his or her employing school district.
118.12(2)(b)
(b) No cooperative educational service agency employee may receive for his or her personal benefit anything of value from any person other than his or her employing agency to sell, promote the sale of or act as an agent or solicitor for the sale of any goods or services to any public school pupil while on the property or at an activity of his or her employing agency or while on the property or at an activity of a school district in the agency.
118.12(3)
(3) Any person violating
sub. (2) is subject to a forfeiture of not more than $200 for each offense.
118.12(4)
(4) If a school board enters into a contract that grants to one vendor the exclusive right to sell soft drinks in one or more schools of the school district, the contract may not prohibit the sale of milk in any school and, to the maximum extent possible, the school board shall ensure that milk is available to pupils in each school covered by the contract.
118.123
118.123
Reports and records; forfeitures. 118.123(1)
(1) Any officer or teacher who fails or neglects to make the reports or who fails to keep the records required by
chs. 115 to
121 shall forfeit not less than $5 nor more than $25 for each such failure or neglect.
118.123(2)
(2) If any person designated in
chs. 115 to
121 to prosecute an action for a forfeiture or neglect of duty fails to prosecute the action within 10 days after being requested in writing by an elector of the school district to do so, any elector of the school district may prosecute the action.
118.123 History
History: 1979 c. 89,
301;
1985 a. 214 s.
1; Stats. 1985 s. 118.123.
118.125(1)(a)
(a) "Behavioral records" means those pupil records which include psychological tests, personality evaluations, records of conversations, any written statement relating specifically to an individual pupil's behavior, tests relating specifically to achievement or measurement of ability, the pupil's physical health records other than his or her immunization records or any lead screening records required under
s. 254.162, law enforcement officers' records obtained under
s. 48.396 (1) or
938.396 (1) or
(1m) and any other pupil records that are not progress records.
118.125(1)(b)
(b) "Directory data" means those pupil records which include the pupil's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs, degrees and awards received and the name of the school most recently previously attended by the pupil.
118.125(1)(c)
(c) "Progress records" means those pupil records which include the pupil's grades, a statement of the courses the pupil has taken, the pupil's attendance record, the pupil's immunization records, any lead screening records required under
s. 254.162 and records of the pupil's school extracurricular activities.
118.125(1)(cm)
(cm) "Pupil physical health records" means those pupil records that include basic health information about a pupil, including the pupil's immunization records, an emergency medical card, a log of first aid and medicine administered to the pupil, an athletic permit card, a record concerning the pupil's ability to participate in an education program, any lead screening records required under
s. 254.162, the results of any routine screening test, such as for hearing, vision or scoliosis, and any follow-up to such test, and any other basic health information, as determined by the state superintendent.
118.125(1)(d)
(d) "Pupil records" means all records relating to individual pupils maintained by a school but does not include notes or records maintained for personal use by a teacher or other person who is required by the state superintendent under
s. 115.28 (7) to hold a certificate, license or permit if such records and notes are not available to others, nor does it include records necessary for, and available only to persons involved in, the psychological treatment of a pupil.
118.125(2)
(2) Confidentiality. All pupil records maintained by a public school shall be confidential, except as provided in
pars. (a) to
(m) and
sub. (2m). The school board shall adopt regulations to maintain the confidentiality of such records.
118.125(2)(a)
(a) A pupil, or the parent or guardian of a minor pupil, shall, upon request, be shown and provided with a copy of the pupil's progress records.
118.125(2)(b)
(b) An adult pupil or the parent or guardian of a minor pupil shall, upon request, be shown, in the presence of a person qualified to explain and interpret the records, the pupil's behavioral records. Such pupil or parent or guardian shall, upon request, be provided with a copy of the behavioral records.
118.125(2)(c)1.1. The judge of any court of this state or of the United States shall, upon request, be provided by the school district clerk or his or her designee with a copy of all progress records of a pupil who is the subject of any proceeding in such court.
118.125(2)(cg)
(cg) The school district clerk or his or her designee shall provide a law enforcement agency with a copy of a pupil's attendance record if the law enforcement agency certifies in writing that the pupil is under investigation for truancy or for allegedly committing a criminal or delinquent act and that the law enforcement agency will not further disclose the pupil's attendance record except as permitted under
s. 938.396 (1) to
(1x). A school district clerk or designee who discloses a copy of a pupil's attendance record to a law enforcement agency for purposes of a truancy investigation shall notify the pupil's parent or guardian of that disclosure as soon as practicable after that disclosure.
118.125(2)(ch)
(ch) The school district clerk or his or her designee shall provide a fire investigator under
s. 165.55 (15) with a copy of a pupil's attendance record if the fire investigator certifies in writing that the pupil is under investigation under
s. 165.55, that the pupil's attendance record is necessary for the fire investigator to pursue his or her investigation and that the fire investigator will use and further disclose the pupil's attendance record only for the purpose of pursuing that investigation.
118.125(2)(cm)
(cm) If school attendance is a condition of a child's dispositional order under
s. 48.355 (2) (b) 7. or
938.355 (2) (b) 7., the school board shall notify the county department that is responsible for supervising the child within 5 days after any violation of the condition by the child.
118.125(2)(d)
(d) Pupil records shall be made available to persons employed by the school district which the pupil attends who are required by the department under
s. 115.28 (7) to hold a license and other school district officials who have been determined by the school board to have legitimate educational interests, including safety interests, in the pupil records. Law enforcement officers' records obtained under
s. 938.396 (1m) shall be made available as provided in
s. 118.127 (2). A school board member or an employee of a school district may not be held personally liable for any damages caused by the nondisclosure of any information specified in this paragraph unless the member or employee acted with actual malice in failing to disclose the information. A school district may not be held liable for any damages caused by the nondisclosure of any information specified in this paragraph unless the school district or its agent acted with gross negligence or with reckless, wanton or intentional misconduct in failing to disclose the information.
118.125(2)(e)
(e) Upon the written permission of an adult pupil, or the parent or guardian of a minor pupil, the school shall make available to the person named in the permission the pupil's progress records or such portions of the pupil's behavioral records as determined by the person authorizing the release. Law enforcement officers' records obtained under
s. 48.396 (1) or
938.396 (1) or
(1m) may not be made available under this paragraph unless specifically identified by the adult pupil or by the parent or guardian of a minor pupil in the written permission.
118.125(2)(f)
(f) Pupil records shall be provided to a court in response to subpoena by parties to an action for in camera inspection, to be used only for purposes of impeachment of any witness who has testified in the action. The court may turn said records or parts thereof over to parties in the action or their attorneys if said records would be relevant and material to a witness's credibility or competency.
118.125(2)(g)1.1. The school board may provide any public officer with any information required to be maintained under
chs. 115 to
121.
118.125(2)(g)2.
2. Upon request by the department, the school board shall provide the department with any information contained in a pupil record that relates to an audit or evaluation of a federal or state-supported program or that is required to determine compliance with requirements under
chs. 115 to
121.The department shall keep confidential all pupil records provided to the department by a school board.
118.125(2)(h)
(h) Information from a pupil's immunization records shall be made available to the department of health and family services to carry out the purposes of
s. 252.04.
118.125(2)(hm)
(hm) Information from any pupil lead screening records shall be made available to state and local health officials to carry out the purposes of
ss. 254.11 to
254.178.
118.125(2)(i)
(i) Upon request, the school district clerk or his or her designee shall provide the names of pupils who have withdrawn from the public school prior to graduation under
s. 118.15 (1) (c) to the technical college district board in which the public school is located or, for verification of eligibility for public assistance under
ch. 49, to the department of health and family services, the department of workforce development or a county department under
s. 46.215,
46.22 or
46.23.
118.125(2)(j)1.1. Except as provided under
subds. 2. and
3., directory data may be disclosed to any person, if the school has notified the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of the categories of information which it has designated as directory data with respect to each pupil, has informed the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of that pupil that he or she has 14 days to inform the school that all or any part of the directory data may not be released without the prior consent of the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem and has allowed 14 days for the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of that pupil to inform the school that all or any part of the directory data may not be released without the prior consent of the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem.
118.125(2)(j)2.
2. If a school has notified the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem that a pupil's name and address has been designated as directory data, has informed the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of the pupil that he or she has 14 days to inform the school that the pupil's name and address may not be released without the prior consent of the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem, has allowed 14 days for the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of the pupil to inform the school that the pupil's name and address may not be released without the prior consent of the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem and the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem has not so informed the school, the school district clerk or his or her designee, upon request, shall provide a technical college district board with the name and address of each such pupil who is expected to graduate from high school in the current school year.
118.125(2)(j)3.
3. If a school has notified the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of the information that it has designated as directory data with respect to any pupil, has informed the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of the pupil that he or she has 14 days to inform the school that such information may not be released without the prior consent of the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem, has allowed 14 days for the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of the pupil to inform the school that such information may not be released without the prior consent of the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem and the parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem has not so informed the school, the school district clerk or his or her designee, upon request, shall provide any representative of a law enforcement agency, as defined in
s. 165.83 (1) (b), district attorney, city attorney or corporation counsel, county department under
s. 46.215,
46.22 or
46.23 or a court of record or municipal court with such information relating to any such pupil enrolled in the school district for the purpose of enforcing that pupil's school attendance, investigating alleged criminal or delinquent activity by the pupil or responding to a health or safety emergency.
118.125(2)(k)
(k) A school board may disclose personally identifiable information from the pupil records of an adult pupil to the parents or guardian of the adult pupil, without the written consent of the adult pupil, if the adult pupil is a dependent of his or her parents or guardian under
26 USC 152, unless the adult pupil has informed the school, in writing, that the information may not be disclosed.
118.125(2)(m)
(m) A parent who has been denied periods of physical placement with a child under
s. 767.24 (4) does not have the rights of a parent or guardian under
pars. (a) to
(j) with respect to that child's pupil records.
