Deputy Superintendent Chad Weise told the Verona Area School District Board of Education that the district and local police have strengthened coordination after two September incidents, including “one single physical arrest” and a criminal referral for possession of a weapon that, the district said, was intended for use in a fight planned outside school hours.

The update, delivered with Verona-area law enforcement, outlined steps the district has taken to standardize emergency response across schools: adopting the nationally used Standard Response Protocol, piloting the Navigate360 app for mass notifications and attendance during drills, establishing patrol check points for security staff and sharing safety plans with partner agencies. “We were committed… that we were going to share openly share data,” Weise said, describing the goal of transparent, replicable practices across buildings.

Officer Brad Stoll, the district’s new school resource officer, said he attended drills at every school and differentiated between arrests and “criminal referral” actions. “There was 1 single physical arrest, and that was for that fight in the dean of students office,” Stoll said. He described the criminal referral as a case where a student “brought that knife with the intention of using it in that fight,” and the district and police pursued a criminal referral rather than an on-site arrest in that instance.

Lieutenant Jeremy Hatfield described the multi-jurisdictional work that prevented the incidents from escalating and said training with neighboring departments has been scheduled so responding officers will be familiar with Verona’s buildings. “The first time they do something is not the first time they do something,” he said, describing a large-scale active-threat exercise planned for Oct. 23 (a day when school will be closed) that will bring multiple agencies to train in district facilities.

Board members and presenters emphasized the district’s layered approach to safety: physical security upgrades, security staff, the SRO, districtwide drills and systems for students and staff to report concerns. Chief [Verona Police Department] summarized the partnership as positive: “We have a great relationship with the school district,” he said, urging the balance of non-policing school interventions and law-enforcement readiness.

Presenters flagged other initiatives: the district’s tip line (monitored broadly and used by parents and staff), pilot restorative justice pathways (including potential referrals to Briarpatch for ages 12–16 and Dane County programs for older teens), a free gun-lock distribution program through the police department and expanded outreach to parents on firearm safety. Board members and police noted ongoing community education plans for e-bikes and e-scooters, and an upcoming public communication about the Oct. 23 training exercises.

Board members asked how the district prioritizes investments; presenters recommended a balanced approach that centers relationships and reporting pathways as the highest-impact steps. Weise noted the district will compile required safety plans and assessments tied to state law (Act 143) and return to the board to request formal endorsement when the documentation is complete.

The board did not take formal action on policy changes during the presentation; presenters said follow-up items (the Act 143 materials and a compiled safety document) will be returned to the board for sign-off.