By Lee Reinsch
Correspondent
DE PERE — The School Board heard a presentation on the district’s student suicide and threat assessment protocol at its first meeting of the year, Jan. 3, in light of recent events throughout the area.
Jerry Nicholson, director of pupil services, Ivy Jeskie, assistant principal of De Pere Middle School, and Missy VanderWettering, De Pere police-school liaison officer, discussed what happens when a student threatens to harm themselves or others, and how the school evaluates a threat’s level of seriousness.
“We look at and consider any message of doing harm,” Nicholson said. “Threats are to be interpreted across media and can be visual in nature.”
He said the district uses the Wisconsin School Threat Assessment Model, which was developed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of School Safety, to evaluate the nature of the threat and get to the root of the problem.
“Once we go through these steps, we give it a classification, low or vague, medium and so on,” VanderWettering said.
She said all parties involved are interviewed to determine more about the situation, including whether the student or others are in danger, or if they need help.
Jeskie described it as “an immediate collaborative process.”
She said counselors, teachers, parents, the student, staff, pupil services and police, if necessary, work together.
Jeskie said a digital threat assessment using social media may also be done.
She said if the student alluded to or mentioned weapons, the student’s parents will be asked to demonstrate their weapons are stored properly, and staff will develop a case plan and documentation.
“Engagement and connectedness is the key,” Nicholson said.
In addition, he said students who are concerned about another student can let the school know electronically and securely.
Superintendent contract
The School Board approved Dr. Christopher Thompson’s contract to become De Pere’s next superintendent.
Thompson, who has served as superintendent of the Rosholt School District since 2019, will replace De Pere’s current superintendent, Dr. Ben Villarruel, when he retires at the end of this school year.
In other business
The board approved:
• Spending $24,320.86 on geometry textbooks from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• The purchase of a Steiner tractor for $43,125 to replace the district’s 20-year-old tractor.
• Spending approximately $60,000 to purchase two water heaters for De Pere Middle School to replace the school’s 20-year-old system.