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Kenosha Unified details broad school-safety program; committee weighing additional measures ahead of referendum
Summary
Kenosha Unified and local law enforcement presented a broad review of current safety measures—SROs, liaison officers, a blue-box master-key system, protective film, gunshot detectors, CSTAG/STAC threat assessment work, ALICE drills—and the safety committee said it will prioritize additional upgrades and technologies ahead of a planned referendum.
District staff and law enforcement representatives gave a comprehensive update on school safety measures already in place and on items the safety committee is evaluating ahead of a planned referendum.
Presenters described existing tools and partnerships: five full-time school resource officers (SROs) in secondary schools, liaison/off-duty officers and retired-officer security staff, the blue-box master-key entry system that gives responding officers rapid access to campuses, protective window film on main entrances, gunshot detectors that alert administrators and the emergency response team, and ALICE active-threat training and drills. Staff highlighted the School Threat Assessment Coalition (STAC) in the county, which uses the nationally recognized Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) to coordinate assessments and responses among school districts, law enforcement, prosecutors, and social services.
The district also discussed prevention and support programs that affect safety outcomes: deans of students and counselors trained in threat assessment, social workers and grant-funded therapeutic staff (Effective School Solutions), culture coaches, administrative review and AODA programs, e-hall-pass tracking, Second Step social-emotional learning, community liaison positions funded through Fund 80, and other restorative practices.
Committee members described operational practices intended to reduce risk: restroom checks and documented walkthroughs, camera coverage on exterior and interior campuses, locked entrances and a visitor-management Raptor system, panic buttons in main offices, employee abilities to initiate lockdowns remotely, and documented reunification protocols. The district uses digital campus mapping, joint incident command practices with first responders, and shared messaging between the district and police to manage community anxiety when threats circulate on social media.
Board members raised concerns about security at after-hours events and in auditoriums where cell coverage and camera coverage may be limited; district staff said administrators who manage rentals carry district phones and radios and that the safety committee will examine auditorium vulnerabilities. The committee is also evaluating potential investments such as more protective window film, door replacements, AI-assisted screening pillars (Evolve/Athena) and panic-alert systems, and will prioritize options in light of costs. Presenters noted trade-offs—no single technology is foolproof (for example, some 3-D printed/plastic weapons may not register on metal-detection systems) and sensitivity settings can increase false positives.
The district said it will continue the committee’s work, report results of an internal safety-priorities survey to the committee, and return to the board with prioritized recommendations informed by the upcoming referendum and available funding.
