Wisconsin school drill law

Which drills does Wisconsin require, and how often?

The person in charge of any public or private school must hold a fire drill for all students once each month, without previous warning. The monthly fire drill may be skipped when the person in charge judges that bad weather may endanger students' health. Schools must hold a tornado or other hazard evacuation drill at least twice a year, and a school safety incident drill at least twice a year, both without previous warning. School boards and private school governing bodies must make sure students in each regularly occupied building are drilled at least once a year on responding to a school violence event, under the school safety plan. The monthly and twice-yearly drill rule names three drill types: fire, tornado or other hazard, and school safety incident. It sets no separate bus, earthquake, shelter-in-place or reunification drill.

What flexibility do schools have?

School safety drills must be based on the school safety plan. A safety drill may be substituted for any other drill in the same list. The yearly school violence drill may be substituted for a required school safety drill. The person in charge may give advance warning of a required drill if that is in students' best interest.

Do parents get notice?

The provision that lets a school give advance warning of a drill sets no duty to notify parents. The fire, tornado or hazard, and school safety incident drill rule sets no parent notice either. The yearly school violence drill rule sets no parent notice. A 2025 bill, Assembly Bill 613, as introduced, would have required notice to parents when an entire class is removed from the classroom for a drill required by law. AB 613's last action, on March 23, 2026, reads "Failed to concur in pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1". It is not law.

What limits apply to realistic drills?

The fire, tornado or hazard, and school safety incident drill rule sets no opt-out and no limit on realistic drill elements. The yearly school violence drill rule sets no opt-out and no limit on realistic elements such as simulated gunfire or role-played attackers.

What records and reports are required?

School boards and private school governing bodies must keep a record of each fire, tornado or other hazard, and school safety drill for at least seven years. In communities with a recognized fire department, the person in charge of each public or private school must file a yearly drill report with the fire chief, on a Department of Safety and Professional Services form. The report must explain any month with no fire drill and any year with fewer than two tornado or hazard drills. Within 30 days of a school violence drill, the person in charge of the building must give the school board or governing body a brief written evaluation of it. Before each January 1, school boards and private school governing bodies must file their school safety plan with the Office of School Safety. With that filing, they must report the dates of the previous year's school violence drills and certify that the written drill evaluations were reviewed.

What must the school safety plan cover?

Each school board and each private school governing body must have a school safety plan in effect. The plan must include guidelines and procedures for school violence and attacks, bomb threats, fire, weather emergencies, intruders and parent-student reunification. The plan must include the process for reviewing how required drills are run. The parties who help write the plan may include the Department of Justice, local law enforcement officers and firefighters.

Who is covered?

The drill law applies to every public and private school. The monthly and twice-yearly drill duties fall on "the person having direct charge of any public or private school"; that rule does not name charter schools. The yearly school violence drill duty falls on each school board and each private school governing body; it does not name charter schools or their operators. Unless a statute explicitly says otherwise, the chapters that hold the drill law do not apply to charter schools. Where the same section does reach charter schools, it names them, as in its ban on mercury. An independent charter school's contract must include the procedures the school will follow to ensure the health and safety of students. A 2019 bill, Senate Bill 824, would have extended the school safety plan and school violence drill duties to operators of independent charter schools. It died on April 1, 2020 ("Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1") and is not law.

What changed recently?

The history note for the drill section lists 2025 Wis. Acts 57 and 89 as the only 2025-26 acts that changed it. 2025 Wis. Act 57 added a subsection on parent notification of alleged sexual misconduct; it did not change the drill rules. 2025 Wis. Act 89 added a subsection on policies and training for appropriate communication between school employees and students; it did not change the drill rules either.