Annual Notices

The School District of South Milwaukee provides Academic and Career Planning services to all students in Grades 6-12.The School District of South Milwaukee is committed to supporting the whole child throughout their educational journey.  While at South Milwaukee, students can expect to engage in academic and career experiences that will increase knowledge, enhance their understanding and prepare them for the workplace.  The Academic and Career Plan, in conjunction with the Education for Employment Plan (E4E),  is intended to outline why academic and career knowledge, exploration, planning and preparation are essential for workplace and postsecondary success. In SDSM we have extended these experiences down to the elementary level.  Students are engaged in goal setting, skills and interest surveys, learning style inventories and working to prepare for the transition to middle school. Middle school experiences expand upon the latter and as students progress through 8th grade they begin to identify, explore and research career interests and begin to prepare for the transition to High School. 

Our goal, each year, is for all students in the South Milwaukee School District to engage in meaningful academic and career experiences that increase, support, and prepare them for post-secondary opportunities as measured by academic and career awareness, exploration, planning, and preparation so that they are able to be successful in the workplace.

The complete Education for Employment Plan is available on the district website.  For additional questions, please contact Christie Gajewski, Director of Instruction, at (414) 766-5088. 

Under AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act), all primary and secondary schools are required to develop and implement a plan for managing all building materials which contain asbestos.  Included in the AHERA Act is the requirement to annually notify all workers and building occupants (or their guardians) of asbestos-related activities.

Beginning in 1988, all buildings owned, leased, or “under the control of” the School District were inspected by EPA accredited inspectors, with building material samples analyzed by an independent laboratory.  Based on the inspection, the School District prepared and the state approved a comprehensive management plan for managing the asbestos.

Where the asbestos-containing materials are found, the District has in place an Operations and Maintenance program.

The District has accomplished the following compliance mandates regarding the administration of asbestos in school buildings:

• Environmental Management Consulting, Inc. (EMC) was contracted to be the school’s consultant for asbestos for the school year.
• The District is continuing with the Operations and Maintenance Program as designed for the School District.  This ensures that all asbestos materials are kept in good condition in good condition.
• Periodic “surveillance” in each area containing asbestos has been completed every six months by our consultant.  Also, the buildings are re-inspected by an accredited inspector every three years.
• In the past year the District conducted the following asbestos removal activities: 
  • South Milwaukee Middle School: M113 – Removal of Floor Tile and Mastic. 

All outside contractors shall contact the lead maintenance person before commencing work.  Our goal at the District is to be in full compliance with asbestos regulations.

A copy of the Asbestos Management Plan is available for review by contacting the District Office. Questions related to this plan or any other asbestos concerns should be directed to the District’s Designated Person: Carol Dufek (414-766-5075).

The School District of South Milwaukee endeavors to locate, identify, and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities.  The school district has a special education screening program to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district and who have not graduated from high school.  Upon request the school district will screen any resident child who has not graduated high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate.  A request may be made by contacting Carrie Stollenwerk, Director of Pupil Services, South Milwaukee School District at (414) 766-5041 or in writing at 901 Fifteenth Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI  53172.

A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the child to the school district in which the child resides.  Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child’s parent that the referral will be made.  The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability.  Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child to the school district in which the child resides.  A referral of a child residing in the School District of South Milwaukee may be sent to Pupil Services Office, 901 Fifteenth Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI  53172.

In accordance with Wisconsin Statute 118.15 (1)(d), the School District of South Milwaukee may provide program and curriculum modifications for a child under certain guidelines.  The parent or guardian should first talk with the principal and/or Director of Instruction  regarding the specific program or curriculum modifications requested.  The parent or guardian should then speak with the superintendent if a solution is not obtained.  Finally, any child’s parent or guardian, or the child if the parent or guardian is notified, may request the school board, in writing, to provide the child with program or curriculum modifications.  

The school board shall render its decision, in writing, within 90 days of a request, except that if the request relates to a child who has been evaluated by an individualized education program team under s. 115.782 and has not been recommended for special education, the school board shall render its decision within 30 days of the request. If the school board denies the request, the school board shall give its reasons for the denial.

Any decision made by a school board or a designee of the school board in response to a request for program or curriculum modifications shall be reviewed by the school board upon request of the child’s parent or guardian. The school board shall render its determination upon review in writing, if the child’s parent or guardian so requests.

Please contact your child’s building principal or Christie Gajewski, Director of Instruction, if you would like more information or to make a request for modifications.

The School District of South Milwaukee is committed to supporting the whole child throughout their educational journey.  While at South Milwaukee, students can expect to engage in academic and career experiences that will increase knowledge, enhance their understanding and prepare them for the workplace.  The Education for Employment (E4E) Plan is intended to outline why academic and career knowledge, exploration, planning and preparation are essential for workplace success.

Our goal, each year, is for all students in the South Milwaukee School District to engage in meaningful academic and career experiences that increase, support, and prepare them for post-secondary opportunities as measured by academic and career awareness, exploration, planning, and preparation so that they are able to be successful in the workplace.

The complete Education for Employment Plan is available on the district website.  For additional questions, please contact Christie Gajewski, Director of Instruction, at (414) 766-5088.

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth (twenty-one years of age and younger) as:

• Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youth who are:

• sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as double-up);
• living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
• living in emergency or transitional shelters;
• abandoned in hospitals; 
• living in a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designated for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human being; 
• living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and, 
• migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above.

If you are personally aware of or are acquainted with any children who may qualify according to the above criteria, the School District of South Milwaukee provides the following assurances to parents of homeless children:

• The local district staff person (liaison) for homeless children is the Director of Pupil Services, please contact the Pupil Services Secretary Amber Bondeson.
• There shall be immediate enrollment and school participation, even if educational and medical records and proof of residency are not available.
• All educational opportunities and related opportunities for homeless students (preschool to age 21), including unaccompanied youth, shall be the same as for the general student population.
• Enrollment and transportation rights, including transportation to the school of origin may be possible.  “School of origin” is defined as the school the child attended when permanently housed or when last enrolled.
• Written explanation of why a homeless child is placed other than in a school of origin or school requested by the parent, with the right to appeal within the local dispute resolution process.
• Meaningful opportunities for parents to participate in the education of their children.  These shall include:  special notices of events, parent-teacher conferences, newsletters, and access to student records.

Please contact Carrie Stollenwerk, homeless liaison for the School District of South Milwaukee, at 414-766-5041 for additional information about homeless issues.

Each year the School District of South Milwaukee makes available a School Performance Report.  Parents may request a copy of the report in writing to Brian Gannon, Student Learning and Technology Coordinator, 901 15^th Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI  53172.  Please also visit the DPI website here to review the most recent information released by the Department of Public Instruction.

The district has a school wellness policy, which can be found on the district’s nutrition services website. The policy details information regarding the District’s promotion of healthy schools by supporting wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity as part of the total learning environment.  Please contact John Xynos, Director of Nutrition Services, with any questions or to receive a hard copy of the policy.

The School District of South Milwaukee is committed to using benchmarked and rigorous standards that set the highest expectations for student performance and prepare students in the District for success both inside and outside the classroom walls.  Keeping in line with our Moral Imperative, “The School District of South Milwaukee acts with relentless commitment to remove barriers and care for all students so they feel accepted and will learn without exception,” the School District of South Milwaukee implements a K-12 curriculum based on the adoption of rigorous academic standards. In SDSM, curriculum is written reflecting these standards as a baseline of performance expectations for all students. K-12 curriculum progressions allow for students to develop deeper understandings and excel beyond the established grade/course baselines.

For more detailed information about our academic standards or to request a written copy, please visit the Curriculum and Instruction page under the District heading on the School District of South Milwaukee website, www.sdsm.k12.wi.us, or contact Christie Gajewski, Director of Instruction, (414) 766-5088 or cgajewski@sdsm.k12.wi.us .

The School District of South Milwaukee shall engage in student assessments through a variety of methods and report the achievement of students to the parents/guardians in grades prekindergarten through 12 for the purpose of promoting a process of continuous evaluation of student performance; informing the student and his/her parent(s) and/or guardian(s) of the student's progress; and providing a basis for bringing about change, if necessary, in student performance.  Information about local and state assessments can be found on the district website and parents/guardians may request information regarding any state or District policy regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by law and by the district.

The balanced assessment system has been approved by the School Board and aligns with local and state requirements.  In accordance with Wisconsin Statute 118.30, parents/guardians may request that their child be excused from taking federal, state or local standardized tests administered by the District unless prohibited by federal or state law. Such requests must be made in writing and provided to a school or district official.  Once received by a school official, the request will then be shared with the Technology and Student Learning Coordinator or Director of Instruction who will acknowledge receipt of the request and the child(ren) shall be excused.  The district will then supply a letter indicating that academic instruction will continue in lieu of taking the assessment.  However, special education students may be provided with an alternate assessment if determined by the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) team

 The School District of South Milwaukee shall not discriminate in the methods, practices and materials used for testing and evaluating students, on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, color, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability or handicap.  The District Assessment Policy 346 does not prohibit the use of approved accommodations to meet the individual needs of students.  Discrimination complaints shall be processed in accordance with established procedures.

Please contact your child’s building principal or Brian Gannon, Student Learning and Technology Coordinator, if you would like more information or to make a request for assessment details.

The District shall abide by and implement student compulsory attendance laws.  State law requires each child between the ages of six and eighteen residing in the District to be in school attendance (religious holidays excepted) unless they:

1. Are excused temporarily for physical or mental reasons;
2. Have graduated;
3. Have been authorized to attend an alternative educational program;
4. Have been excused by their parent/guardian prior to an absence in accordance with state law; or
5. Have been excused by the building principal or their designee.

Any violator of the compulsory school attendance law shall be subject to penalties outlined in state law.

Students who are absent may make up any examinations missed and may complete any course work missed during absences.

The Centers for Disease Control defines bullying as “any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners, that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm” (Gladden et al., 2014, p. 7).

It is common to mistake a conflict between peers or classmates for bullying. The following are common differences between the two, but not all aspects will always be present:

The SDSM Bullying Complaint and Investigation Procedures are adapted from the Department of Public Education Bullying Prevention Toolkit. The District will be piloting and expanding the procedures throughout the 2023-24 school year.

Examples of Conflict that are NOT Bullying

There are many examples of conflict that can occur in or out of school, but are not bullying. Many of the examples below may still result in discussions, counseling or disciplinary action for those involved. 

Not liking someone – It is very natural that people do not like everyone around them and, as unpleasant as it may be to know someone does not like you, verbal and non-verbal messages of “I don’t like you” are not acts of bullying.

Being Excluded – Again, it is very natural for people to gather around a group of friends and we cannot be friends with everyone, so it is acceptable that when kids have a party or play a game at the playground, they will include their friends and exclude others.  It is very important to remind kids they do the same thing sometimes too and, although exclusion is unpleasant, it is not an act of bullying.

Accidentally Bumping Into Someone – When people bump into others, the reaction depends mostly on the bumped person’s mood.  If they have had a bad day, they think it was an act of aggressive behavior, but if they are in the good mood, they smile back and attract an apology.  It is very important for teachers and parents to explain that some accidents happen without any bad intention and it is important not to create a big conflict, because it was NOT an act of bullying.

Making Other Kids Play Things a Certain Way – Again, this is very natural behavior.  Wanting things to be done our way is normal and is not an act of bullying.  To make sure kids do not fall into considering it as an aggressive or “bossy” behavior, we need to teach them assertiveness.  Again, although it is not fun or pleasant, this is NOT bullying.

A Single Act of Telling a Joke About Someone – Making fun of other people is not fun for them, but the difference between having a sense of humor and making fun of someone is very fine.  It is important to teach kids (and grownups) that things they say as jokes should also be amusing for others.  If not, they should stop.  Unless it happens over and over again and done deliberately to hurt someone, telling jokes about people is NOT bullying.

Arguments – Arguments are just heated disagreements between two (or more) people (or groups).  It is natural that people have different interests and disagree on many things.  Think about it, most of us have disagreements with ourselves, so it is very understandable to have disagreements with others.  The argument itself is NOT a form of bullying, although some people turn arguments into bullying, because they want to win the arguments so much.  They use every means to get what they want and find a weakness in the other person, abuse knowledge or trust they have gained and use it against the other person.  It is very important to distinguish between natural disagreements and bullying during an argument.

Expression of Unpleasant Thoughts or Feelings Regarding Others – Again, Communication requires at least two players.  Although it may be unpleasant to hear what someone thinks about you, it is NOT a form of bullying but a very natural thing.  In every communication, there are disagreements and some form of judgment about each others attitude and behavior.  If someone says to you, “I think this was not a nice gesture” or "You insulted me when you said this”, this is NOT bullying but an expression of thoughts and feelings.

Isolated Acts of Harassment, Aggressive Behavior, Intimidation or Meanness – The definition of bullying states that there is a repetition in the behavior.  Bullying is a conscious, repeated, hostile, aggressive behavior of an individual or a group abusing their position with the intention to harm others or gain real or perceived power.  Therefore, anything that happens once is NOT an act of bullying.  As a parent, it is important that you pay attention to what your kids are telling you and find out if things are happening more than once.

Examples taken from Franklin County Community School Corporation

Report a concern related to bullying by printing and submitting this form to your principal or fill out the form online.

All school lockers (including hall, physical education, etc.) are the property of the school. At no time does the District relinquish its exclusive control of lockers provided for the convenience of students. Periodic general inspections of lockers may be conducted by school authorities as determined necessary or appropriate at any time, without notice, without student consent and without a search warrant.  

Further, reasonable searches among the personal belongings of the student contained within the locker may be conducted where there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the search will provide evidence that the student has violated or is violating the law or school rules.

Locker searches may be conducted by the Superintendent, a building principal, an assistant principal, a police-school liaison officer or a school employee designated by the Superintendent or building principal.

The School District of South Milwaukee prohibits all forms of unlawful discrimination against students and other persons in all aspects of the District’s programs and operations. Accordingly, consistent with section 118.13 of the state statutes, no person shall unlawfully be discriminated against in any curricular, extracurricular, pupil service, recreational, or other program or activity because of the person's sex, sexual orientation, race, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, any physical, mental, emotional or learning disability, or any other legally-protected status or classification.

The District likewise requires and enforces nondiscrimination in a manner consistent with the rights and obligations established under all applicable federal civil rights laws, including the current provisions of Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, religion, sex, or national origin), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (sex), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (disability), the Americans with Disabilities Act (including Title II of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in state and local government services), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (age), and the civil rights provisions associated with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act  and the District’s participation in federal meal programs”.

The District’s commitment to nondiscrimination and to responding appropriately to any report, allegation, or confirmed incident of unlawful discrimination against any student is further addressed in the School Board’s policies, including but not limited to Board Policy 300 and Board Policy 411. These Board policies can be accessed online at https://www.sdsm.k12.wi.us/. As further required by the Board’s policies and applicable law:

• The District provides legally-required accommodations and appropriate educational services or programs for students who have a qualifying disability, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. The District also provides for the reasonable accommodation of a student's sincerely held religious beliefs with regard to examinations and other academic requirements.
• As mandated by the current provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and under the regulations set forth in Part 106 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the District does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits all forms of unlawful sex discrimination in any education program or activity that the District operates. Title IX’s requirement not to discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity includes, but is not limited to, discrimination affecting students. A more comprehensive notice covering the application of Title IX to the District is available on the District’s website at https://www.sdsm.k12.wi.us/. The District’s Title IX notice identifies each of the District’s designated Title IX Coordinators and includes additional information on how to report or file a complaint of sex discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment under Title IX, and the manner in which the District will respond to such reports or complaints. Inquiries regarding how Title IX and the federal Title IX regulations apply to the District may be referred to a District Title IX Coordinator (as designated below), to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, or to both.
• The District shall provide children of homeless individuals and unaccompanied homeless youth, as identified under federal law, with equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including the provision of comparable services, as the District provides to other children and youth who reside in or otherwise attend school in the District. The Director of Pupil Services, who can be contacted at 414-766-5041, is the District’s designated liaison for homeless children and youth.  
• All District career and technical education opportunities are offered to students on a nondiscriminatory basis. Additional information regarding such program offerings and the applicable admission/participation criteria can be obtained on the District’s website or by contacting any school’s guidance office.

Nondiscrimination Coordinator(s) – The following employee serves as the District’s primary nondiscrimination coordinator for student matters:

Jennifer Sielaff   Carrie Stollenwerk

Director of Personnel, Director of Pupil Services
Administrative & Legal Services
901 15th Ave. 901 15^th Ave.
South Milwaukee, WI 53172 South Milwaukee, WI 53172
jsielaff@sdsm.k12.wi.us                    cstollenwerk@sdsm.k12.wi.us  
(414) 766-5011 (414) 766-5051

The student nondiscrimination coordinators identified above also serve as District-designated Title IX Coordinators and as District-designated ADA/Section 504 Coordinators.  

How to Report or Make a Complaint of Student Discrimination – Any person (including a person who is not claiming to have been personally harmed/victimized by the alleged conduct or by a challenged policy) may report information about or, if eligible, a person may submit a complaint alleging any type of student discrimination that is prohibited pursuant to state or federal law (including any allegation of prohibited retaliation) to the District’s student nondiscrimination coordinator, as identified with their contact information, above.  

Formal complaints alleging Title IX sexual harassment must be submitted in writing as further detailed in Board Policy 300 and will be processed using the District’s designated Title IX grievance process for such complaints. Unless applicable laws require the use of other processes (e.g., for certain special education matters), any other reports or complaints of prohibited student discrimination (including prohibited retaliation) will normally be processed under the complaint procedures that the District has established under Board Policy 411. For a complete copy of such complaint procedures, refer to Board Policy 411 on the District’s website at sdsm.k12.wi.us.  

Questions concerning this notice, the District’s nondiscrimination policies, the application of student nondiscrimination laws to the District, or the District’s complaint procedures may be directed to either of the nondiscrimination coordinators identified in this notice.

By following all required procedures and timelines of the applicable non-District entity, complaints of unlawful student discrimination may also be filed externally with an appropriate state or federal court or state or federal agency. Such courts and agencies independently determine the extent to which any given complaint falls within their scope of authority.

The School District of South Milwaukee maintains student records for each student attending school in the District.  State and federal laws require that the maintenance of such records assure confidentiality. Accordingly, an adult student, or the parent(s) or guardian(s) of a minor student have the following rights in the District:

(1) The right to inspect, review and obtain copies of the student's school records upon request in accordance with established District procedures. The District will respond to such requests without unnecessary delay and in no case more than 15 working days after the request is made.  Copies of the District's student records procedures are available upon request at the South Milwaukee School District Office, 901 15^th Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI 53712.  Regular office hours are: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

(2) The right to request the amendment of the student's school records if he/she believes the records are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights. Complaints or requests for amendments regarding the content of student records may be made in accordance with established District procedures. Copies of the District's procedures are available upon request as outlined above.

(3) The right to consent to the disclosure of information contained in the student's school records except to the extent that state and federal laws authorize disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials determined to have legitimate educational or safety interests in the records. A "school official" is a person employed by the District who is required by the Department of Public Instruction to hold a license; a person employed by or working on behalf of the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor or support staff member (including health or medical staff and police-school liaison personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a specific task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant or therapist); the designated police-school liaison officer; or a parent or student serving on an official committee such as a disciplinary or grievance committee or assisting another school official in performing his/her tasks. A school official has a "legitimate educational or safety interest" if the official needs to review a student record in order to fulfill his/her professional or District responsibility. A second exception which permits disclosure without consent is to a law enforcement officer who is individually designated by the school board and assigned to the school district. 

The District shall transfer a student's records to another school or school district in which the student seeks to enroll or is enrolled without consent upon request in accordance with state law. District procedures outline the specific reasons for disclosure without consent and are available upon request as outlined above.

(4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education for alleged District noncompliance with federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC  20202-5901.

Further, the South Milwaukee School Board has designated the following student record information as directory data: student's name, date and place of birth, parent/guardian name, major field of study, school most recently/previously attended, dates of attendance, grade level, participation in activities and sports, weight and height if member of athletic team, student photograph, student degrees/awards.  This information may be disclosed to any person or organization UNLESS the adult student, or parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of a minor student completes the Request to Withhold Directory Data form at the school in which said student attends of their desire that all or any part of the directory information may not be disclosed without his/her consent.  The District will not release directory data earlier than two weeks (14 days) after the opening of school or receipt of this notice.  Previous requests to withhold the disclosing of directory data will be honored unless a revised request is submitted. 

High School Parents and Students:  Please note that the district is required to give students’ names, addresses, email address, and phone numbers to military recruiters or an institution of higher education unless you inform us in writing that you do not want your information or your student’s information provided to military recruiters or an institute of higher education.  Please contact the high school office if you have any questions regarding this aspect.