Kenosha School District staff outline security upgrades and funding options after failed referendum

District staff outlined a package of immediate and future school-safety steps the Kenosha School District could pursue after a previous capital referendum failed, emphasizing low-cost measures to implement quickly and larger projects that would require new funding.

In a special meeting to preview the July 22 agenda, an unidentified district staff member said the safety committee met three times and focused on "cost-free or very low-cost recommendations" that could be implemented now while officials consider larger capital projects. "One of the things that might be important for you to know is that there's no revisions to the program at all," Michelle Santelli, a regional coordinator for high schools, said of the Head Start supplemental grant; Santelli also described how high-school phone procedures are informing middle-school practice.

Among the recommended immediate steps, staff proposed mandating that classroom doors be "locked and closed" while classes are in session except for active entry and exit, a shift staff called "a big change" that will require time to implement. The report also recommends expanding use of the Raptor visitor-management system to include vendors, continuing door monitors at seven schools that lack controlled entrances, and creating a policy to permit administrators to use handheld metal-detecting wands under reasonable suspicion, with training for staff.

Staff described a nominal-cost option to contract with Safer Schools Together (about $22,000 per year) to monitor social media for "worrisome online behavior" and provide geo-located warnings to police and district staff. The district said it plans to pursue an Office of School Safety grant through the Wisconsin Department of Justice to fund cameras, door monitors, swipe-entry systems and other hardware, and recommended adding shatter-resistant film to more entry points (staff clarified the film is shatter-resistant, not bulletproof).

For larger upgrades'controlled entrances, weapon-detection systems and additional security staff'staff discussed two main funding approaches: a capital referendum (which places payments outside the state revenue limit but could fail at the ballot) or borrowing without referendum (which would count against the district's revenue limit and require operational trade-offs). The report noted an earlier, faster timeline had been estimated at about $12.5 million; by extending the timeline and using a mix of internal resources, staff said that total could be reduced to roughly $9'$10 million.

Tarek (staff) explained the trade-offs of borrowing versus referendum, saying referendum payments sit outside the state revenue limit while borrowing without referendum counts against it and would likely require using general-fund revenue or reserves for annual payments. The district flagged the additional operational cost of staffing security measures even if capital hardware were purchased.

Board members asked about the role of school culture and reporting in safety. One board member cited the district's "Speak Up, Speak Out" program and staff said the district is getting reports from it. Staff emphasized that equipment alone is insufficient without staff buy-in and consistent school-level implementation.

The district presented these recommendations for board consideration at the July 22 regular meeting; no formal board vote on the safety package occurred at the special meeting.