West Bend policy committee reviews Wisconsin Act 89 draft, awaits shorter WASB version and DPI training

The West Bend School District policy committee on May 26 reviewed draft language to implement Wisconsin Act 89, which the administration said requires the district to adopt a staff–student communications policy by September 2026.

Superintendent Whmer told the committee the draft they reviewed is a comprehensive version supplied to cover required components, but that the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) was preparing a shorter version expected at the end of the week. Whmer said the district plans to compare the two drafts, identify intersections with staff handbook language and the 500‑series policies, and return to the committee before forwarding a recommendation to the full board.

“We have a lot of runway in front of us,” Whmer said, adding that the statutory deadline is September 2026 and that the district would not wait until the last minute. He also said the WASB and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) are coordinating a required training module for staff to be delivered at the start of a school year so employees understand the policy’s implications.

Committee members asked that administration present both the longer draft and the WASB shorter draft for side‑by‑side comparison, and the committee agreed to reconvene as needed to finalize language and advance it for a first reading at the full board meeting. No formal vote was recorded; the items will be advanced through the committee‑to‑board process for further consideration.

Next steps: administration will circulate the shorter WASB draft when available, prepare cross‑references to handbook and 500‑series staff policies, and schedule another committee meeting to prepare a package for board consideration before the September 2026 statutory deadline.