The School District of Mauston has taken significant safety steps to further strengthen our safety and security measures in our schools.

One safety feature is the Raptor System that you will notice when you arrive at the main office of your child’s school. Part of keeping students and staff safe is knowing who is in our schools at all times, and the Raptor System will help us to do this. The Raptor System will better allow us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for everyone.

Upon entering any District building, visitors will be asked to present their ID, such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the Raptor System. If for any reason, a parent, guardian, or visitor does not have a US government-issued ID, you can use other forms of identification and a staff member will assist you to manually enter your name into the Raptor System. The Raptor System will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor System checks the visitor’s name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor System. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency.

Once entry is approved, the Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of the visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority and the Raptor visitor management system allows us to quickly identify those who may present a danger to us. Thank you in advance for your understanding and support in enhancing school safety protocols in our District.

Here are other important safety measures that are in place:

1. Please bring your ID with you the first time you enter a school office this year. This will be a requirement beginning this year. This information will be entered into the Raptor System at each school. Your ID will not be necessary to enter into the Raptor System the second time you enter any school as you will then be identified in the Raptor System. However, you may be asked to show your ID in another building if you are not recognized so it is best to be prepared and bring your ID each time.
2. Individual schools may have protocols this year regarding how parents pick up students at school. For example, at West Side School in the morning, students who will be arriving prior to 7:55 will proceed straight to the playground, and at the end of the day, parents are asked to not enter the school in the atrium/lobby to gather their children. All students will be escorted out of the building by their teachers. This permits doors to be locked the entire school day and for the school to know at all times of day who is in the building. Also, West Side School has a designated drive-up zone for cars to pick up children at the end of the day. See specific information on the new safety improvements from the West Side School Principal.
3. Parents are asked to have emergency contact information in Skyward and to be sure that it is accurate and up-to-date at all times. 
4. In all schools, all volunteer individuals will be asked to complete a Volunteer Application. Applications must be completed and filed in your child’s school two weeks before the volunteering opportunity in order to be considered for field trips and all other volunteering that is done in the schools.
5. When entering a school building, you will be asked to state your name and the reason for your visit before you are buzzed into the school.
6. 3M Window and Glass Protectant Film will be installed on all school entryway windows, and doors with windows, as an additional deterrent that holds glass together so windows don’t shatter in extreme safety situations.
7. Each classroom throughout the District is equipped with a Safety Medical Kit and Stop the Bleed supplies to be used in an emergency or crisis situation.
8. Each school office is equipped with a Medical Top Pack Defense Kit that can be used in emergency medical situations. Each classroom throughout the District has an Emergency Safety Bucket equipped for a longer lockdown stay in a classroom.
9. Each classroom is equipped with a new LG Emergency Preparedness flip phone that can be used by staff to call out in an emergency situation. These phones are registered with Homeland Security and have wireless priority should it be needed.
10. Each classroom will be equipped with a barricade device that can be utilized to block a door from intruders in an extreme emergency situation.
11. All staff is required to take part in A.L.I.C.E. active shooter webinar training. Staff will be further trained with school protocols in how to respond to active shooter and other emergency situations while students are present.
12. All students will be involved in safety training episodes this school year. Each school will utilize an instructional approach keeping in mind the developmental needs of students of all ages.
13. School principals and some staff will be equipped with walkie-talkie radio systems at all times as this provides a quicker response time to emergency situations.
14. The District has a District Safety Team with local law enforcement and each school has a School Safety Team that meets on a regular basis throughout the school year.
15. The District Emergency Response Plan (Safety Plan) identifies specific evacuation and reunification sites in extreme emergency situations. These sites will be shared with parents if an emergency situation occurs. There are new cell phone procedures in schools in the name of safety and clear backpacks at Mauston High School.

Student and staff safety is our priority. We know that the more you know, assists all of us to move toward a better prepared and safer school environment. We aim to apply barriers that keep violence and danger away from our schools. Please join us in this effort.