Oak Creek-Franklin trustees review NEOLA policy service proposal; hold first reading of revised Title IX, harassment and discrimination policies

Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District trustees reviewed a proposal to adopt NEOLA, a third-party policy-service platform, and held a first reading of revised district Title IX, harassment and discrimination policies at their April meeting.

The district presentation described NEOLA as a subscription service offering customizable policy templates, ongoing legal monitoring, searchable online policy access and a warranty that NEOLA will provide legal defense if its language is challenged. Dr. Richard Zimman, introduced as a retired superintendent and NEOLA associate, told the board, “All we do is policy work.” District staff said the board would remain the ultimate approver of policy language.

Why it matters: The proposal would outsource drafting, updating and hosting of the district’s policy manual and related administrative guides. Supporters said NEOLA could reduce staff time and outside legal-review costs and provide faster updates when federal or state guidance changes. Critics at public comment urged the board to keep policy work in-house to preserve board control.

Board presentation and consultant remarks District administration outlined a three-part engagement: an initial drafting phase, a crosswalk of existing policies to NEOLA templates, and ongoing semiannual updates. The district stated NEOLA’s one-time drafting fee would be $28,250, with an annual maintenance fee of $795 and a yearly subscription fee of $2,750. Staff said NEOLA works with roughly 80% of Wisconsin school districts and 1,500 districts across six states and that NEOLA offers 24/7 access to updated templates and an archive of prior policy versions.

Dr. Richard Zimman said the pooled, subscription model spreads legal and drafting costs across many districts and described the warranty and the liability coverage that supports it, noting NEOLA’s ability to provide archived policy snapshots quickly if a district must respond to a later records request or legal challenge.

Public comment and board questions Resident William McIntosh criticized the proposal in public comment, saying the board was outsourcing duties he believes belong to the elected board. McIntosh said: “So for over $30,000 you're outsourcing the work that you're supposed to do.”

Board members asked about speed of updates for measures such as Title IX and about cost offsets. A board member asked whether NEOLA would react quickly to weekend or emergency changes; Zimman cited the Title IX period of rapid federal and court updates as an example where NEOLA provided frequent updates and district trainings. A board member asked about reference checks; the administration said it would provide names of other districts and board members for trustees to contact.

Title IX, harassment and discrimination policy first reading Troy (district staff) led a first reading of revised harassment, discrimination and Title IX policies, saying: “What we’re doing now that the law has been changed by the current administration is doing the exact same thing we did when the previous administration made changes to Title IX… we’re complying with the law. Purely and simply, we’re going back to, in essence, where we were before.” The presentation showed redlined drafts and separated harassment/discrimination policies from Title IX language for students and employees.

Next steps and board direction No formal vote to adopt NEOLA occurred at this meeting. The administration said it will bring a formal approval request to the May 12 meeting and will supply trustees with contact names from other districts that use NEOLA. The administration also said it will propose a policy-review committee to examine draft policies before full board consideration.

Ending note Trustees and staff stressed the board retains authority to approve any policy language the district brings forward. The NEOLA proposal remains an action item for a future meeting; the Title IX and related policy revisions advanced as a first reading.