Mauston School District- Mauston, WI
With school safety concerns continuing to be a focal point nationally, the Mauston School District is working to update its safety plan. Mauston Superintendent Christine Weymouth said the district is working with school districts across Juneau County for safety plans that work best for students and faculty. Mauston Police Department Acting Chief Mike Zilisch, along with School Liaison Office Andrew Zobal, discussed the A.L.I.C.E. training method used by districts across the country to prevent school violence. The acronym stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evaluate. Weymouth said it’s important to give parents as much information without “over alarming” them. Zilisch said the police department recently trained with the A.L.I.C.E. program and called it “eye-opening.” “The point that we got from it is this is better than what we currently have, which is lockdown,” Zilisch said. “This also prepared us for evacuations in case there was an active shooter in the building. Being locked in a room keeps everyone contained and mitigates loss, but I don’t think that’s enough.” “When something like that happens, a lot of people rely on instinct,” Olson Middle School Principal Mike Gonzalez said. “If we have formalities down, that will help with instincts.” Read more
