Ensuring the safety of students and staff is our highest priority at the Hamilton School District. Below is a general overview of our ongoing safety initiatives. These measures are continuously reviewed and enhanced to maintain a safe learning environment for everyone.
School Resource Officer (SRO)
Our district contracts with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department to have full-time SROs on-site.
SRO Deputy Leah Estes and SRO Deputy Alex Arteaga work together to maintain a safe school culture, resolve issues and support the safety of both students and staff in all buildings:
- Deputy Leah Estes has served the district since 2019 and is primarily stationed at Hamilton High School
- Deputy Alex Arteaga, a Hamilton High School graduate and four-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, joined the district in 2025 and is stationed primarily at Templeton Middle School
The work of an SRO includes:
- Developing and coordinating crisis plans
- Creating protocols for handling specific emergencies
- Assisting in the facilitation of emergency response exercises
The goals of an SRO include:
- Building positive relationships between law enforcement and students
- Providing school staff with valuable resources to help maintain safe and supportive learning environments
- Ensuring the enforcement of local and state laws while maintaining public safety at school
ALICE Protocol
We follow the ALICE protocol (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) to train staff in responding to threats. Our SROs are ALICE-certified and collaborate in the development and review of our safety plan. All staff have received training on this protocol, ensuring preparedness for emergency situations. All students participate in “intruder drills” at least once each semester.
Speak Up Speak Out Wisconsin
Hamilton School District encourages students to use the Speak Up Speak Out threat reporting system to share concerns that arise outside of normal school hours.
Speak Up Speak Out was created by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of School Safety (OSS) and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tips are used to identify not just threats to schools, but also other daily safety concerns students encounter, such as bullying, drug use, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and more. The Speak Up Speak Out resource center is staffed around the clock to respond to tips and deploy a local community response by communicating with school administrators, law enforcement and counselors.
Tips can be submitted anonymously by phone, text or via the Speak Up Speak Out website. It is free and available for all community members to use.
- Call: 1-800-MY-SUSO-1
- Text: “SUSO” to 738477
- Visit: speakup.widoj.gov
Tattletale System
The Tattletale system enhances our ability to respond swiftly in an emergency. Several staff members at each school are equipped with pendants that, with the push of a button, can instantly notify local law enforcement of an emergency. The system communicates directly with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, ensuring quick alerts and efficient coordination with emergency responders.
Safety Terms
- Hold — classroom business is conducted as usual, the hallways are cleared, classroom doors are closed and locked
- Lockdown — maintain silence and stay out of sight within classrooms, outside doors and classroom doors are closed and locked
- A.L.I.C.E. — follow the ALICE protocol (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) in responding to threats
- Reunification — a safe, orderly and supervised process to reunite students with their families
- Evacuation — leave quickly in an orderly fashion and proceed to a designated safe location
Emergency Officials Annual Meeting
Each fall, representatives from local law enforcement and emergency services join our district administrators for a meeting to review safety protocols. This meeting includes table-top exercises that simulate various emergency situations such as severe weather, active shooter, bomb threats and social media threats. This annual practice allows us to refine our responses and ensure all parties are aligned in protecting our school community.
Threat Assessment Process
The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department is immediately notified of any threat. Law enforcement conducts a thorough investigation, including home visits when necessary, to ensure the safety of our students. This collaboration allows for informed decisions regarding appropriate actions and responses to maintain a safe environment for everyone.
Threat Assessment Team
In addition to our partnership with local law enforcement, the district also has a Threat Assessment Team which consists of our SROs and staff members from different school buildings. The team meets on a regular basis to review and respond to any questions or concerns that arise.
Raptor Visitor Management System
All visitors to our schools are screened through the Raptor Visitor Management System, which checks individuals against registered sex offender databases and maintains an accurate record of visitors. This system enhances the safety of our buildings by ensuring that only authorized individuals are allowed access.
Further ways we control access to our buildings include:
- Designation of a single point of entry at buildings for visitors during the school day
- Double door locked egress entrances
- Fortified entryways at all schools
- FOB access for all external doors and select internal doors
- Video surveillance on all campuses
- Tattle-Tale system connected with law enforcement
- Alarm system on select doors
- Safety bollards at key locations
Safety Drills
Each school conducts regular response drills throughout the year. These drills are designed to prepare students and staff for a variety of emergency scenarios, ensuring that everyone knows how to respond swiftly and safely:
- Thirteen fire drills each year, with two in September to kick off the year and one every other month.
- Two safety or lock-down drills, one each semester, to make sure everyone knows the plan if a real safety issue occurs.
- One tornado or severe-weather drill each April, timed to align with Wisconsin’s Severe Weather Awareness Week
In the case of all drills, student emotional well-being is considered. Staff members and teachers will talk with students about what to expect and what they should do during each drill using age-appropriate language. It will also be made clear that our school is a safe place and that these drills are only for practice.
Communication Plan
Clear and timely communication is essential during any emergency. The district has established protocols ensuring we can quickly reach the appropriate emergency personnel and provide families with timely and accurate updates if there is an imminent threat to safety.
Families can help by:
- Ensuring that your child’s emergency contact information is accurate in Campus Parent (Infinite Campus)
- Ensuring that your child’s health information is accurate and updated as needed
- Contacting your school office if you need assistance with updating this information
Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Resources
Supporting the mental health and well-being of students is important to keeping our educational community safe. Hamilton Cares is a webpage dedicated to caring for students’ mental health. It is available on the district’s website and brings together a wide range of both school and community resources in one easy-to-navigate location.
Winter Weather Procedures
The decision to close school due to weather affects thousands of people and is never made lightly. The safety of students, staff and parents is always our top priority. Visit our Winter Weather Procedures page for more information.
Building Safety Plans (Staff access only)
This password-protected section is only for Hamilton School District staff.
Log in to the employee intranet for secure information. Once logged in, you will be able to view building-specific safety plans.