STUDENT SUPERVISION AND WELFARE

STUDENT SUPERVISION AND WELFARE

po4213Adopted September 1, 2015Revised March 16, 2026

4213 - STUDENT SUPERVISION AND WELFARE

Support staff members may be confronted with situations which, if handled incorrectly, could result in liability to the District, personal liability to the staff member, and/or harm to the welfare of the student(s).

A support staff member, or a person who works or volunteers with children, who is found to have had sexual contact with any student, shall be referred to the proper authorities and be subject to discipline up to and including discharge.

This policy should not be construed as affecting any obligation on the part of staff to report suspected child abuse under 48.981, Wis. Stats., and Policy 8462 - Child Abuse and Neglect.

Standard of Care of Students

Each District support staff member shall maintain a standard of care for the supervision, control, and protection of students commensurate with their assigned duties and responsibilities, which include, but are not limited to, the following standards:

  1. A support staff member shall report immediately any accident or safety hazard about which they are informed or detect to their supervisor as well as to other authorities or District staff members as may be required by established policies and procedures. 
  2. A support staff member shall report unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent, or criminal activities, or threat of these activities, by students to the District Administrator and local public safety agencies and/or school officials in accordance with Policy 8420 - School Safety and Reporting of Crime Statistics. Additionally, each support staff member shall also promptly report to the Principal any knowledge of threats of violence by students.

  3. Support staff should not volunteer to take on responsibilities they are not reasonably qualified or able to perform. Voluntarily assuming such duties carries the same level of accountability as formally assigned responsibilities.

  4. A support staff member shall not send students on any personal errands.

  5. A support staff member shall not associate with students at any time in a manner that gives the appearance of impropriety, including, but not limited to, the creation or participation in any situation or activity that could be considered abusive or sexually suggestive or involve illegal substances such as tobacco, alcohol, or drugs. Any sexual or other inappropriate conduct with a student by any staff member will subject the offender to potential criminal liability and District discipline up to and including termination of employment.

    This provision should not be construed as precluding a support staff member from associating with students in private for legitimate or proper reasons or to interfere with familial relationships that may exist between staff and students.

  6. A support staff member shall not disclose personally identifiable information about a student to third parties unless specifically authorized by law or the student's parent(s) to do so.

  7. A support staff member shall not transport students for school-related activities in a private vehicle without the approval of their immediate supervisor and consistent with the provisions of Policy 8660 - Transportation by Private Vehicle for District-Sponsored Activities or Trips. This does not apply to any student who is a support staff member's family member.

  8. A student shall not be required to perform work or services that may be detrimental to their health.

  9. Staff members are discouraged from engaging students in social media and online networking media (see also Policy 7544 - Use of Social Media), except for appropriate academic, extra-curricular, and/or professional uses consistent with Policy 7540 - Technology, Policy 7540.03 - Student Technology Acceptable Use and Safety, and/or Policy 7540.04 - Staff Technology Acceptable Use and Safety.

  10. Staff members are expressly prohibited from posting any picture, video, meme, or other visual depiction, or comment pertaining to any student on personal or unauthorized social networking media or similar forums.  This provision of the policy does not apply to pictures and/or videos taken of public events that may involve or incidentally include depictions of students participating in or observing such events, where the purpose of the photo or video is to depict the event, not a particular student. This section does not apply to depictions of a support staff member's own child or other relative.

Since most information concerning a child in school, other than directory information described in Policy 8330 - Student Records, is a confidential student record under Federal and State laws, a staff member who shares confidential information with another person not authorized to receive the information may be subject to discipline and/or civil liability. This includes, but is not limited to, information concerning assessments, grades, behavior, family background, and alleged child abuse.

Appropriate Staff and Student Relationships

The District is committed to maintaining safe, professional, and developmentally appropriate relationships between staff and students. All employees, volunteers, and adults working with students are expected to uphold clear and appropriate boundaries and report concerns to protect student welfare.

Prohibited Conduct

It is impossible to list every inappropriate conduct scenario, but the following expectations, as well as other similar types of behavior, apply:

  1. Preferential Treatment or Favoritism - Staff behaviors that demonstrate, or give the perception of, preferential treatment toward a student or group of students.

  2. Boundary Invasions - Staff-student relationships may become inappropriate based on the frequency, timing, location, or nature of interactions. Consent from the student or parent does not justify boundary invasions.

    Maintaining professional boundaries is essential to student safety; however, the District recognizes that certain physical contact or personal involvement may be clinically or educationally necessary. Behaviors that are required for a student’s well-being or instructional succe    ss are permitted. This includes, but is not limited to: providing hygiene assistance to a student (e.g., following a toileting accident); physical spotting or corrective positioning in athletics (e.g., wrestling, gymnastics, or football); and administering first aid or emergency medical care.

    Any behavior that lacks a clear educational or medical justification, or that serves the emotional or physical needs of the adult rather than the student, is strictly prohibited. Such behaviors may be indicators of grooming and will be subject to immediate investigation. Inappropriate boundary invasions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

    1.  hugging, kissing, or other physical contact with a student;

    2. telling sexual jokes to students;

    3. engaging in talk containing sexual innuendo or banter with students;

    4. talking about sexual topics that are not related to the curriculum;

    5. showing pornography to a student;

    6. inappropriate comments about a student’s body or appearance;

    7. taking an undue interest in a student (i.e., having a special friend or a special relationship);

    8. initiating or extending contact with students beyond the school day for personal purposes;

    9. using e-mail, text messaging, or websites to discuss personal topics or interests with students;

    10. giving students rides in the staff member's personal vehicle or taking students on personal outings without administrative approval;

    11. invading a student's privacy (e.g., walking in on the student in the bathroom, locker-room, asking about bra sizes or previous sexual experiences);

    12. going to a student's home for non-educational purposes;

    13. inviting students to the staff member's home without proper chaperones (i.e., another staff member or parent of the student);

    14. giving gifts or money to a student for no legitimate educational purpose;

    15. accepting gifts or money from a student for no legitimate educational purpose;

    16. being overly touchy with students;

    17. favoring certain students by inviting them to come to the classroom at non-class times;

    18. getting a student out of class to visit with the staff member;

    19. providing advice to or counseling a student regarding a personal problem (i.e., problems related to sexual behavior, substance abuse, mental or physical health, and/or family relationships, etc.), unless properly licensed and authorized to do so;

    20. being alone with a student behind closed doors without a legitimate educational purpose;

    21. telling a student secrets and having secrets with a student; and

    22. other similar activities or behavior.

Inappropriate boundary invasions are prohibited and must be reported promptly.

  1. Romantic or Sexual Conduct - Staff must not engage in any romantic or sexual conduct with students, including dating, advances, sexual contact, or sexually suggestive communication.

Outside-District and Staff-Parent Relationships - This policy permits appropriate interactions from legitimate, pre-existing, non-District relationships (e.g., relatives, family friends). Staff who are parents or guardians of enrolled students must maintain professional conduct in all school-related activities and communications, avoiding favoritism or conflicts of interest. Where such relationships compromise professional responsibilities, the District may intervene.

Professional Conduct During Off-Site School Activities - Staff must maintain professional boundaries during all school-sponsored off-site activities such as field trips, competitions, travel, and overnight events. Increased vigilance is required in these less-supervised settings.

Reporting of Allegations of Inappropriate Staff and Student Relationships

  1. Student Reporting Process - Students who feel uncomfortable or witness inappropriate behavior are encouraged to report concerns to a trusted staff member or school counselor. All reports will be treated confidentially to the extent legally possible.
  2. Staff Required Reporting of Misconduct - Any concerns about inappropriate staff-student conduct must be reported immediately to a supervisor, principal, or the District’s Compliance Officer(s). Anonymous reports will be investigated per District harassment procedures outlined in Policy 5517 - Student Anti-Harassment.

Mandated Reporting - Per 48.981, Wis. Stats., all staff are mandatory reporters. Suspected child abuse, including by another staff member, must be reported immediately to:

  1. A designated administrator; and
  2. Child Protective Services and/or law enforcement.

Immediate action is required; do not delay. More info: https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/cps/process

Violations and Consequences - Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination, and may be reported to external agencies as required by law.

Policy Access and Training - This policy will be:

  1. posted on the District’s website;
  1. reviewed annually with staff; and
  2. included in the new employee onboarding.

Pursuant to the laws of the State and Policy 8462 - Child Abuse and Neglect, each support staff member shall report to the proper legal authorities immediately any sign of suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. In addition, if there is any cause to suspect misconduct as specified in 118.07(6), Wis. Stats., as described in “Additional Required Reporting” in Policy 8462 – Child Abuse and Neglect, each support staff member shall immediately report it to the District Administrator or their supervisor, or a Title IX Coordinator.

Revised 4/15/19
Revised 4/13/20
Revised 6/21/21
Revised 10/24/22
T.C. 9/16/24
Revised 8/18/25
T.C. 1/12/26

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