The Board requires that a planned program of school counseling be an integral part of the educational program of the District. The plan shall be developed by licensed school counselors in collaboration with student services staff, teachers, parents, and community health and human service professionals. The developed plan will be adopted by the Board and maintained by the District. Such a program shall be available to all students without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, sex (including transgender status, change of sex or gender identity), physical or mental, emotional, or learning disability ("Protected Classes").

Visit the Academic and Career Planning page for more information.

In accordance with 120.12(13), Wis. Stats., in July, the Board must include an item on the agenda to approve a notice that clearly identifies the student academic standards under §118.30(1g)(a)1 that will be in effect for that school year.

The District acknowledges that students may require a prescription and nonprescription medication during the school day. In such cases, medication may be administered only by the licensed school nurse or other trained school employees. The District strongly discourages students from possessing and self-administering nonprescription medication without written authorization from the student’s parent or guardian on file in the health office. (Policy 5330)

The Board is committed to an environment that is free of harassment. The Board will not tolerate any form of harassment and will take all necessary and appropriate action to eliminate it.

The Board will vigorously enforce its prohibition against harassment based on race, color, national origin, age, sex (including gender status, change of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity), pregnancy, creed or religion, genetic information, handicap or disability, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status, military service (as defined in 111.32, Wis. Stats.), ancestry, arrest record, conviction record, use or non-use of lawful products off the District’s premises during non-working hours, declining to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or to participate in any communication with the employer about religious matters or political matters, or any other characteristic protected by law in its employment practices (hereinafter referred to as "Protected Classes") and encourages those within the School District community, as well as Third Parties, who feel aggrieved to seek assistance to rectify such problems. The Board prohibits harassment that affects tangible job benefits, interferes unreasonably with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

In compliance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), this is notice that the Mauston School District has an Asbestos Management Plan at the school district office. The plan is available for inspection by the public, parents, and district employees. The district performs six-month periodic surveillance of asbestos and full re-inspections every three years. For more information, please contact the district office.

The Mauston School District would also like to inform staff, students, parents, and the public of the district’s indoor environmental quality (IEQ) management plan. The plan was initially developed in 2013 and is reviewed as necessary. The plan was developed as deemed appropriate for the district. Questions and concerns should be directed to the IEQ Coordinator. Copies of the plan are available at the district office for a fee.

The district office is located at 510 Grayside Avenue, Mauston, WI, 53948

Students are required to attend all assigned classes every day school is in session unless the student has been excused from attendance because the student has already completed state and District standards required to graduate from high school, has withdrawn, or has a valid excuse for absence. Each school has established attendance procedures that support regular school attendance. These procedures will be shared by each school and require the support of students and families. (Policy 5200)

Policy 5517 – Student Anti-Harassment

It is the policy of the Board of Education to maintain an educational environment that is free from all forms of harassment, including sexual harassment. This policy applies to conduct occurring in any manner or setting over which the Board can exercise control, including on school property, or at another location if such conduct occurs during an activity sponsored by the District. The Board will not tolerate any form of harassment and will take all necessary and appropriate actions to eliminate it, including suspension or expulsion of students and disciplinary action against any other individual in the School District community. Additionally, appropriate action will be taken to stop and otherwise deal with any third party who engages in harassment against our students. Harassment may occur student-to-student, student-to-staff, staff-to-student, male-to-female, female-to-male, male-to-male, or female-to-female. The Board will investigate all allegations of harassment and in those cases where harassment is substantiated, the Board will take immediate steps designed to end the harassment, prevent its reoccurrence, and remedy its effects. Individuals who are found to have engaged in harassment will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

Policy 5517.01 – Bullying

Bullying may be a repeated behavior and involves an imbalance of power. Bullying behavior includes, but is not necessarily limited to stalking, cyberbullying, intimidating, menacing, coercing, name-calling, taunting, making threats, and hazing. Any student that believes s/he has been or is the victim of bullying should immediately report the situation to the building principal or assistant principal, or the Superintendent. The student may also report concerns to a teacher or counselor who will be responsible for notifying the appropriate administrator. Complaints against the building principal should be filed with the Superintendent. Complaints against the Superintendent should be filed with the Board President. Every student is encouraged to report any situation that they believe to be bullying behavior directed toward a student. All such reports, whether verbal or in writing, will be taken seriously and a clear account of the incident is to be documented. All complaints about behavior that may violate this policy shall be investigated promptly by the building principal. The staff member who is investigating the report of bullying shall interview the victim(s) of the alleged bullying and collect whatever other information is necessary to determine the facts and the seriousness of the report. Parents of each student involved in the bullying report will be notified prior to the conclusion of the investigation. The District shall maintain the confidentiality of the report and any related student records to the extent required by law.

The policies outline the complaint procedure.

Use of Tobacco and Nicotine By Students

The District is committed to providing students, staff, and visitors with a tobacco, nicotine, and smoke-free environment. The Board prohibits students from using or possessing tobacco or nicotine and any drug delivery system in any form on District premises, in District vehicles, within any indoor facility owned or while leased or contracted for by the District and used to provide education or library services to children, and at all District-sponsored events. (Policy 5512)

The Student Use Or Possession Of Intoxicants, Drugs, Or Paraphernalia Board recognizes that the misuse of drugs is a serious problem with legal, physical, and social implications for the entire school community.

For purposes of this policy, "drugs" shall mean:

1. all dangerous controlled substances as so designated and prohibited by Wisconsin statute;
2.  all derivates of hemp (see Policy 5330 - Administration of Medication/Emergency Care);
3. all chemicals which release toxic vapors;
4. all alcoholic beverages;
5. any prescription or patent drug, except those for which permission to use in school has been granted pursuant to Board policy;
6. "look-alikes";
7. anabolic steroids;
8. any other illegal substance so designated and prohibited by law.

The Board prohibits the use, possession, concealment, or distribution of any drug and any drug-paraphernalia at any time on District property or at any District-related event. (Policy 5530)

The Board recognizes the value to students and to the District of students participating in programs offered by University of Wisconsin system institutions, tribally controlled colleges and private, non-profit higher education institutions in Wisconsin.

In the same way, The District will permit resident high school students who have completed the 10^th grade and who meet eligibility criteria, to take courses at a technical college in the Wisconsin Technical College System for the purpose of earning both high school and postsecondary credit.

See policies 2270 and 2270.01 for complete details. 

Annually, by January 31, a list of all educational options available to children who reside in the District will be provided to parents. These options include public schools, private schools participating in a parental choice program, charter schools, virtual schools, full-time open enrollment, Early College Credit Program, Start College Now Program, part-time open enrollment in a nonresident school district, youth apprenticeship programs offered under 106.13, Wis. Stats. and options for students enrolled in a home-based private education program.

Children who are identified as meeting the Federal definition of "homeless" will be provided a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the same manner as all other students of the District. To that end, homeless students will not be stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their status as homeless. The District shall establish safeguards that protect homeless students from discrimination on the basis of their homelessness.

The entire policy can be read here. 

The Board shall provide appropriate identification and transition services for District students who are identified as English learners. The purpose of these services is to develop English language skills that will enable the students to function successfully in an all-English classroom and complete the District's required curriculum.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Mauston School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, Mauston School District may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Mauston School District to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

• A playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production;
• The annual yearbook;
• Honor roll or other recognition lists;
• Graduation programs;
• and Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and reauthorized by the Every Student a Success Act of 2015 (ESSA),to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.

If you do not want Mauston School District to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing by Friday, September 20, 2024. If you have questions, please contact Mary O’Brien, Director of Student Services, at 847-5451, Ext. 6602.

The Mauston School District has designated the following information as directory information:

• Student’s name
• Photograph
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Height and/or weight, if members of athletic teams
• Date of graduation
• Degrees, honors, and awards received

The Board shall provide cafeteria facilities in all school buildings where space permits and will provide food service for the purchase and consumption of lunch for all students.

The Board shall approve and implement nutrition standards governing the types of food and beverages that may be sold on the premises of its schools and shall specify the time and place each type of food or beverage may be sold. In adopting such standards, the Board shall:

1. consider the nutritional value of each food or beverage;
2. consult and incorporate to the maximum extent possible the Dietary Guidelines for Americans jointly developed by USDA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services; and
3. consult and incorporate the USDA's Smart Snacks in School nutrition guidelines.

For more information, visit the District's Food Service page. 

The School District of Mauston Board of Education has approved nondiscrimination policies: Policies 0145, 1422, 1662, 2260, 2260.01, 2266, 3122, 3362, 4122, 4362, 5516, 5517, and 5730.

Federal and State Statutes prohibit discrimination against qualified handicapped/disabled persons, including both students and staff members, by school districts receiving federal financial assistance. This includes all programs or activities of the school district receiving federal funds regardless of whether the specific program or activity involved is a direct recipient of federal funds.

The Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, sex (including gender status, change of sex, or gender identity), or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability ("Protected Classes") against individuals, including all students and staff, in any of its student programs and activities.

To ensure compliance with Federal and State Statutes, the School District of Mauston will:

• Prohibit discrimination against qualified handicapped/disabled persons in any aspect of School District employment solely on the basis of disability.
• Make facilities, programs and activities accessible, usable and open to qualified handicapped/disabled persons.
• Ensure that students who are handicapped/disabled are identified, evaluated, and provided with appropriate educational services.
• Provide free appropriate education at elementary and secondary levels, including nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities to qualified handicapped/disabled persons.
• Prohibit exclusions of any qualified handicapped/disabled person solely on the basis of handicap/disability from participation in any preschool education or day care program or activity or any adult education or vocational program or activity.
• Provide each qualified handicapped/disabled person with the same health, welfare, and other social services as are provided other persons.

District Compliance Officers

Mary O'Brien
Director of Student Services/Title IX Coordinator
608-847-5451 ext. 6602
510 Grayside Avenue
Mauston, WI 53948
mobrien@maustonschools.org

Jim Dillin
High School Principal
608-847-4410 ext. 4424
800 Grayside Avenue
Mauston, WI 53948
jdillin@maustonschools.org

The district shall also provide for the reasonable accommodation of a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs with regard to examinations and other academic requirements. Requests for religious accommodations shall be made in writing and approved by the building principal.

The School District encourages informal resolution of complaints under this policy. If any person believes that the School District, or any part of the school organization, has failed to follow the law and rules of §118.13, Wis. Stats., or in some way discriminated against pupils on the basis listed above, he/she may bring or send a complaint to the 504 Coordinator at 510 Grayside Avenue, Mauston, WI 53948, phone (608)847-5451, ext. 6602.

The following procedures shall be followed in addressing the complaint(s):

• Step 1 - A person who believes he/she has a valid basis for a grievance under Section 504 or the ADEA shall prepare and file a written statement of the complaint, including evidence/documentation supporting the need for additional services and/or the inadequacy of the services provided for the child, with the District’s Title IX District Coordinator and Compliance Officer, Mary O’Brien. The complaint will be acknowledged within forty-five (45) days, in writing.
• Step 2 - The Title IX District Coordinator/Compliance Officer will investigate the complaint and provide a written reply to the complainant on behalf of the Board of Education within ninety (90) days of receipt of the complaint unless the parties agree to an extension of time.
• Step 3 - If a complainant wishes to appeal a negative determination by the Board, the complainant may appeal directly to the State Superintendent within thirty (30) days of the decision on behalf of the Board of Education. Appeals should be addressed to: State Superintendent, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 125 S. Webster Street, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7841. Appeals relating to the identification, evaluation, educational placement or the provisions of a free appropriate public education of a child with a disability under State or Federal law shall be resolved through procedures authorized by Chapter 115, Subchapter V., Wis. Stats.

Discrimination complaints may also be filed with the federal government at: Office Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, Illinois 60661.

Questions about these policies may be addressed to Joel Heesch, Superintendent, 510 Grayside Avenue, Mauston, WI 53948 (608) 847-5451.

The Board believes that a vital component of the District’s educational programs is ensuring that parents and other individuals are informed of the performance of the schools and the School District. To this end, the Board has adopted policy 2700.01. 

Upon request, the School District of Mauston is required to evaluate a child for eligibility for special education services.  A request for evaluation is known as a referral.  When the district receives a referral, the district will appoint an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to determine if the child has a disability, and if the child needs special education services. The district locates, identifies, and evaluates all children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in private (including religious) schools, elementary schools and secondary schools located in the school district.

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker, or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child’s parent that the referral will be made.

Others, including parents, who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides.

Referrals must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability.  A referral may be made by contacting Mary O’Brien, Director of Pupil Services and Special Education, School District of Mauston, at (608) 847-5451, ext. 6602; or by writing her at 510 Grayside Avenue, Mauston, WI 53948.

The District provides a system of assessing student achievement that can help the student, teachers, and parents properly judge how well the student is achieving the goals of the District's program. Each school program level will establish grading criteria. The criteria will reflect the age of the student and the level of content learning. (Policy 5421). 

State Required Assessments

The School District of Mauston receives federal Title I program funds, therefore the District has developed a parent participation policy which is posted on our website. Schools in the district work to build positive relationships with families through many events held throughout the school year.

Annually, parents and/or guardians may request and obtain information regarding:

1. The professional qualifications of their child’s teachers including whether the teachers have met state licensing criteria for the grade level(s) and subject area(s) taught; whether the teacher is teaching under  emergency or provisional status through which state licensing criteria has been waived; and the undergraduate degree major of the teacher, and any
graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, including the field of discipline of the certification or degree.

2. The professional qualifications of paraprofessionals providing instructional-related services to their child. Parents will be notified if their child is assigned to, or taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not “highly qualified.” This applies to all teachers, not just those who work in the Title 1 programs. Parents will be given information on the achievement level of their child on each of the state academic assessments as soon as is practicable after the assessment is taken.

If you would like to see the state qualifications for your student’s teacher, you may access the information on the DPI website at https://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/license-lookup/public-search

Title I policies are: 2261, 2261.01, 2261.02, 2261.03, 2623

The Board prohibits professional staff members from possessing, storing, making, or using a weapon in any setting that is under the control and supervision of the District for the purpose of school activities approved and authorized by the District including, but not limited to, property leased, owned, or contracted for by the District, a school-sponsored event, or in a District vehicle to the extent permitted by law.

The Board of the Mauston School District supports the health and well-being of the District’s students by promoting nutrition and physical activity at all grade levels. In accordance with federal law, it is the policy of the Board to provide students access to healthy foods and beverages; provide opportunities for developmentally appropriate physical activity; provide nutrition education, and require that all meals served by the District meet or exceed the federal nutritional guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The District supports a nutrition education that helps students develop lifelong healthy eating behaviors. Nutrition education shall follow the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Model Academic Standards for Nutrition.

Here is the Wellness Policy Triennial Assessment Report Card.

Questions can be addressed to Joel Heesch, Superintendent, School District of Mauston at 608-847-5451, ext. 6682 or by writing at 510 Grayside Ave., Mauston, WI 53948.

The Superintendent shall annually inform of the resources available from the Department and other resources regarding suicide prevention. The Superintendent shall also implement procedures to obtain payment or reimbursement for professional mental health services provided by any licensed treatment professional.

More youth suicide prevention resources are available at: https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/mental-health/youth-suicide-prevention