Wis. Stat. § 165.88 — WI Code / Chapter 165 / Section 165.88
Grants for school safety.
Status: in_force

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Independent charter school” means a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) .

(b) “Private school” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (3r) .

(c) “School board” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (7) .

(d) “Tribal school” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (15m) .

(2) Grants for school safety.

(a) From the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (f) , the department of justice shall award grants for expenditures related to improving school safety. The department shall accept applications for a grant under this subsection from school boards, operators of independent charter schools, governing bodies of private schools, and tribal schools.

(b) The department of justice, in consultation with the department of public instruction, shall develop a plan for use in awarding grants under this subsection. The department of justice shall include in the plan a description of what types of expenditures are eligible to be funded by grant proceeds. Eligible expenditures shall include expenditures to comply with the model practices created in s. 165.28 (1) ; expenditures for training under s. 165.28 (3) ; expenditures for safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment, and facilities; and expenditures necessary to comply with s. 118.07 (4) (cf) . Notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1) , the plan need not be promulgated as rules under ch. 227 .

(3) Application requirements. An application submitted for a grant under sub. (2) shall include all of the following:

(a) A school safety plan.

(b) Blueprints or interactive critical mapping data, as defined in sub. (3m) (ac) , for each school building and facility or, if blueprints or the data were already submitted, a certification that the items submitted are current.

(c) A proposed plan of expenditure of the grant moneys.

(3m) Grants to schools for interactive critical mapping data.

(ac) In this subsection, “interactive critical mapping data” means interactive representations of a specific location that are verifiable, digital, shareable, and shown in real time.

(am) From the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (f) , the department of justice shall award grants to school boards and governing bodies of private schools to assist them in complying with the requirement under s. 118.07 (4) (cf) to submit interactive critical mapping data to law enforcement agencies and the office of school safety.

(b) The department shall accept applications for the grants under this subsection from school district administrators, or governing bodies of private schools, that are working jointly with local law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over the school.

(c) Grant moneys awarded under this subsection shall be used for site-specific interactive critical mapping data to enhance security and increase situational awareness for first responders. Any interactive critical mapping data created with grant money under this subsection shall be compatible with platforms and applications used by local, state, and federal public safety officials; may not require local, state, or federal public safety officials, school districts, or private schools to purchase additional software; and shall include information that can best assist first responders in an emergency, such as building numbers, floors, suite designations, room numbers, or other available relevant location information.

(d) The department of justice shall submit an annual report to the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance providing an account of the grants awarded under this subsection and the expenditures made with the grant moneys.

(4) Report. The department of justice shall submit an annual report to the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance providing an account of the grants awarded under sub. (2) and the expenditures made with the grant moneys.

History: 2017 a. 143 ; 2021 a. 109 ; 2023 a. 199 ; 2025 a. 129 .