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Board approves staff and student handbooks, conditional health practices and related policies; DPI air-quality guidance noted for school year
Summary
The board approved the 2025–26 staff and student handbooks, adopted conditional health practices for in-person learning (Phase 4), approved records and Title IX–related policies, and noted forthcoming use of Wisconsin DPI air-quality guidance.
At the July 16 meeting the Walworth County Children with Disabilities Education Board approved updates to the Lakeland School staff and student handbooks, adopted conditional health practices to start the year in an in-person, masks-optional Phase 4, approved records and Title IX–related policy updates, and acknowledged Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) guidance on communicating air-quality events.
Handbooks and policy updates The board approved proposed revisions to the 2025–26 staff handbook and the student handbook. Staff described a range of changes to the staff handbook, including disciplinary language for time-card errors, clarifying PTO request increments (half-day or full-day where possible to ease sub coverage), updates to secondary-employment practices and the addition of school-counselor sick-leave language. The behavioral-response protocol was updated to reference the UKARO program, and school-closing procedures were updated to reference county ordinances.
Student handbook updates Updates to the student handbook included revised dismissal times on the 2025–26 calendar, clarified absent-notification responsibilities, updated emergency-closing language (to harmonize with modern weather-service terminology), updated health criteria for keeping students home and removal of outdated mass-screening summaries. Graduation requirements were updated to reflect DPI guidance (for example, 0.5 credit for personal financial literacy where applicable).
Conditional health practices School administrative and medical staff recommended starting the year in Phase 4 (in-person learning, masks optional, no quarantine or isolation, open campus for family/community). Staff said they plan to finalize a more comprehensive single-document conditional-health protocol with the school nurse and present it to the board if future changes to phases are needed; the board approved the Phase 4 start.
Records, Title IX and related policies The board approved a records policy change to limit sharing of directory data; staff noted counsel (Rennig Lewis) confirmed that releasing even limited directory data could reveal special-education status and that the school will not release directory data broadly. The board also approved Title IX policy and related suspension/expulsion procedures noting Lakeland School will not expel students (partner districts are the responsible LEA for such decisions) but may follow suspension processes consistent with state and federal law.
Air-quality guidance Staff noted DPI’s outdoor air-quality index (AQI) guidance and said the school will take initial steps to use AQI guidance this school year to inform activity decisions during poor air-quality events (for example, wildfire smoke days).
Outcome and next steps Motions to approve handbooks, conditional health practices and the suite of policies were passed in the meeting. Staff will implement handbook changes, finalize internal conditional-health documentation with the nurse, and proceed with Raptor visitor-screening implementation in front vestibule as planned.
