Safety and security is always on the top of our minds throughout the school district. Here is a summary of the ongoing measures we take to ensure the safety of each and every student and staff member:
Fire drills are held monthly. These drills include important protocols all teachers follow once outside so we can ensure every single student has been safely accounted for. We also ask local fire officials to observe our drills.
Tornado drills are held at least twice annually. This drill ensures that all students are calm, quiet, and in a location deemed structurally safe by building engineers.
Critical Incident drills are held at least once each quarter following the VASD Critical Incident Response Guidelines.
Each school has a designated Building Emergency Response Team (BERT) that meets periodically under the guidance and direction of our district’s Security/Safety Coordinator.
Our BERT teams conduct “tabletop” safety exercises at least twice annually.
Per Wisconsin Statute 118.07, ACT 309, we maintain records of each fire, tornado, and safety drill for a period of 7 years.
Tabletop, functional and full-scale safety, and security exercises have been conducted with the Verona Police/Fire, Fitchburg Police/Fire, Fitch-rona EMS, Verona DPW, Fitchburg DPW, Dane County Emergency Management, 911 Center, and other local Law Enforcement Agencies.
A visitor registration system is used that conducts a sex offender check on the visitor, and prints photo ID visitor passes. Staff is trained to greet adults in the building who do not have a visitor or staff ID.
All district-wide schools have entrances with a “buzz-in” system, in addition to cameras and shatter-proof window filming in strategic areas for additional safety.
Security cameras exist throughout all district-wide schools.
VASD staff members are required by the district to wear district-issued photo identification badges that must be visible at all times.
The Board of Education approved “options-based” training for all staff and students in response to potential active-threat situations.
District volunteers who have District-approved access to students in unsupervised settings (e.g. off school district property and/or overnight trips) must also consent to a criminal background check before they will be allowed to come in contact with students.
Clear tornado, fire, and critical incident directions for staff and students are posted near office/classroom entrances and periodically reviewed.
Staff accompanies all elementary children to the bus pick-up area at the end of the day to ensure students get on the correct bus, are picked up by a parent or proceed to the afterschool program.
