Wis. Stat. § 119.18 — WI Code / Chapter 119 / Section 119.18
Board; powers.
Status: in_force

(1g) Generally. The board may do all things reasonable to promote the cause of education, including establishing, providing and improving school district programs, functions and activities for the benefit of pupils.

(1r) Rules.

(a) Subject to par. (b) , the board may adopt and modify or repeal rules for its own government and for the organization, discipline and management of the public schools which shall promote the good order and public usefulness of the public schools.

(b) The board may not establish by rule any limit on the number of pupils who may enroll in a charter school that is not an instrumentality of the school district, as determined under s. 118.40 (7) .

(2) Distribution of printed proceedings. The board may determine the distribution of the printed proceedings of the board.

(3) Transportation. The board may provide for the transportation of pupils to and from any school within the city.

(4) Insurance. The board may provide for accident insurance covering pupils in the school district.

(5) Textbooks for indigent pupils. The board may purchase textbooks for pupils whose parents, guardians or other persons having control or custody of such pupils are without means to furnish them with textbooks, if the indigency of such pupils have been investigated and certified by a welfare worker or attendance officer. The local governmental authority administering poor relief in the city shall reimburse the board for all expenditures by the board for such textbooks. Such textbooks shall be the property of the city and subject to the disposal of the board.

(6) School calendar. The board may determine the school calendar and vacation periods for each school year for the regular day schools, summer schools, social centers, and playgrounds. The board may close any school or dismiss any class in the event of an emergency, fire or other casualty, quarantine, or epidemic.

(7) School hours. The board may establish rules scheduling the hours of each school day during which the schools shall be in session. The board may differentiate between the various grades in scheduling such school hours.

(8) Schools closed. The board may determine on which national, state and local legal holidays and for which educational conventions the public schools shall be closed. There shall be no deductions from the annual or monthly compensation of employees not rendering services on such days.

(9) Enrollment under legal name. The board may require that any pupil attending public school shall be enrolled under the pupil’s legal name.

(10) Employees.

(b) Subject to ss. 63.18 to 63.53 when applicable, the board may employ and determine the qualifications, duties and compensation of any persons as are required in the operation and management of the schools.

(c) The board may employ a staff to aid it in its duties. The board shall determine the compensation, duties and qualifications of its staff, including whether or not employment of such staff shall be subject to ss. 63.18 to 63.53 .

(11) Bonded officers and employees. The board may require any officer or employee of the board to give security for the faithful performance of the officer’s or employee’s duties in such form and amount as the board determines, and may require at any time additional bonds and sureties of any officer or employee.

(12) Employer contribution. The board may make as the employer agency the contributions to the city retirement system payable under chapter 396, laws of 1937 , in respect to its employees who are members of such system.

(13) Exchange teachers. The board may make an agreement with the managing body of the schools in any city or school district in the United States or another country for the exchange of one of the board’s teachers for a teacher of such other city or school district for a period not exceeding one school year. The board shall determine the qualifications and compensation of the teacher rendering service under the agreement in the schools under its jurisdiction, who shall be counted as a regular teacher in the city in the computation of state and county school aids. The agreement shall state:

(a) The manner and by whom the salaries of such exchange teachers shall be paid.

(b) That any teacher regularly employed by the board under this chapter shall receive credit for the year of exchange teaching service in the computation of any benefits to which the teacher is entitled under ch. 40 and the manner in which the monthly reservations shall be paid under ch. 40 .

(c) Such other provisions as the board and the other managing body deem appropriate.

(14) Sales and charges. The board may establish and maintain, in any of the schools or playgrounds under its jurisdiction, cafeterias and stores for the sale of schoolbooks, candies, refreshments and supplies. The board also may charge or permit the making of a charge for admission to any school, social center or athletic entertainment or activity, under such terms and conditions as the board prescribes.

(15) Lease school property. In addition to any other authority, the board may lease school sites, buildings and equipment not needed for school purposes to any person for any lawful use at a reasonable rental for a term not exceeding 15 years.

(16) Gifts and grants.

(a) In this subsection, “community foundation” means a charitable organization, described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code, dedicated to encouraging and assisting charitable activities and enterprises in a designated community in this state and having expertise in finance, fund development, and grantmaking.

(b) The board may receive, accept, and use gifts or grants of furniture, books, equipment, supplies, moneys, securities, or other property used or useful for school and educational purposes. The board shall make such use of gifts or grants, or invest the same in the case of moneys, as the donor or grantor specifies. In the absence of any specific direction as to the use of such gifts or grants by a donor or grantor, the board may determine the use of or may invest the same in accordance with the law applicable to trust investments, or may, subject to par. (c) , transfer any such gift or grant to a community foundation. In the use, control, or investment of such gifts or grants, the board may exercise the rights and powers generally conferred upon trustees.

(c) The board may transfer a gift or grant to a community foundation only if the board and the community foundation agree, in writing and at the time of the transfer of the gift or grant, to each of the following:

1. The community foundation agrees to make disbursements from and of the gift or grant to the board upon the written request of the board.

2. Subject to subd. 2m. , the board retains control over the manner in which any disbursement made under subd. 1. is used.

2m. The school board’s use of any disbursement made under subd. 1. shall be consistent with the intent of the donor of the gift, bequest, or endowment and with the agreement between the school board and the community foundation.

3. The board exercises its rights over the use of each disbursement made under subd. 1. in accordance with the law applicable to trust investments.

(17) Purchases from house of correction. The board may purchase for use in the schools, from any county in which the city is located, furniture, furnishings and equipment manufactured in any house of correction under s. 303.16 (1) . The board may waive the furnishing by the county or institution of bid bonds and performance bonds otherwise required by the statutes in connection with any such purchase.

(18) Copyright materials. The board may copyright under the applicable federal laws any book, pamphlet, bulletin or record form edited and published by or under the direction of the board.

(19) Fences. The board may construct around any schoolhouse or playground site a fence of materials and design approved by the board.

(20) Diplomas. The board may grant diplomas in testimony of the completion of high school or special education requirements, including the requirements of special schools established under s. 119.28 .

(21) Rules on conduct and dress. The board may establish rules pertaining to conduct and dress of pupils in order to maintain good decorum and a favorable academic atmosphere.

(22) Records custodian. On behalf of any school district authority as defined in s. 19.32 (1) , including the board, school district officers and any subunit of the board or school district, designate one or more persons to be legal custodians of records.

(23) School closings. The board may close any school that it determines is low in performance by adopting a resolution to that effect. If the superintendent of schools recommends to the board that a school be closed, he or she shall state the reasons for the recommendation in writing. If the board closes a school, the superintendent of schools may reassign the school’s staff members without regard to seniority in service. If the board reopens the school, the superintendent of schools may reassign staff members to the school without regard to seniority in service.

History: 1973 c. 16 , 21 , 91 , 188 , 243 ; 1981 c. 96 ss. 45 , 46 , 67 ; 1981 c. 335 ; 1985 a. 225 ss. 67 , 69 ; 1989 a. 31 , 290 ; 1993 a. 492 ; 1995 a. 27 ; 1997 a. 164 ; 2011 a. 105 , 163 ; 2015 a. 55 ; 2021 a. 238 s. 45 .