We understand that schools and school districts have unique laws and regulations affecting both staff and students. Our education lawyer team advises school boards and administrators on school district issues, student rights and responsibilities, student discipline and expulsion, educating of students with disabilities, and the confidentiality issues related to student records. We also advise school boards and administrators on matters involving teacher and administrator contracts, nonrenewal and termination procedures, a myriad of other labor and employment issues, as well as laws affecting governmental organizations.
Additionally, our school district lawyers serve as spokespersons in teacher and support staff negotiations and assist in developing salary and benefit packages for teachers and other professional school staff. A education lawyer advises school districts on unique issues related to early retirement, tax sheltered annuities, sick leave payout plans and other benefit plans.
Because of Buelow Vetter’s unparalleled experience as education lawyers and in school law, many of our clients choose us to serve as general counsel for their school districts, assisting with board governance, public records, contracts, benefits, expulsions and many other issues that arise on a regular basis.
We are honored to represent 27 out of the 50 largest school districts in the State of Wisconsin (as ranked by the MacIver Institute). Our extensive client base includes public school districts of all sizes, private schools and colleges and universities. Contact a education lawyer today at Buelow Vetter.
Buelow Vetter is privileged to serve a wide variety of public schools and higher education institutions – in large cities, expanding suburbs and smaller communities – throughout the state of Wisconsin. We understand that the teachers, staff and employees that comprise the public education system are public servants, answering the exceptionally important calling to educate the workforce of the future.
Disciplining students is an unfortunate part of managing an educational institution. However, when issues arise, Buelow Vetter is committed to helping you to resolve these issues appropriately, efficiently and as discretely as possible, so you can remain focused on delivering a quality education to your students.
Our public school attorneys provide sound advice that ranges from drafting policies and student handbooks, to disciplining students for conduct occurring off school grounds. Additionally, we represent school boards or administrators during expulsion proceedings, including defending expulsion orders when appealed to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), or in state or federal court proceedings.
One of the most complicated issues facing virtually every school board and superintendent is understanding and complying with state and federal laws regulating the educational needs and rights of students with disabilities. That’s why Buelow Vetter attorneys regularly consult with administrators and student services staff on this complex area of the law. And, in the event your district faces federal or state court actions over the rights of students to a free and appropriate public education, we stand ready to defend and protect your interests.
With an increasing dependence on computer technology, the security of student records has become a more frequent and complex issue for school administrators. Buelow Vetter attorneys have extensive experience in advising districts on a variety of topics including parental rights to student records, the use of technology to maintain a safe school environment, access to student records by the media or law enforcement agencies, and even what constitutes a “student record” in the digital and social age. Finally, we also assist public schools in harmonizing any applicable public records requirements.
At Buelow Vetter, we regularly consult with school administrators on the legal rights and responsibilities of students. Common issues that we advise districts on include free speech, religion, search and seizure, harassment, bullying and drug and alcohol testing. While our role varies from district to district, you can count on our team to deliver sound day-to-day advice, diligence in reviewing and updating your policies and handbooks, and passionately defending your school board in the event of litigation.
We understand that a student handbook or code of conduct is an essential tool for every school and district, as clear and meaningful handbooks and policies are the keys to avoiding misunderstandings, liability and litigation. And while the needs of every school are different, it’s important to realize that a policy that works for one district may not be as effective in another. If you need help fine-tuning your district’s handbook or codes of conduct to align with evolving trends, technological advances and other elements driving change in education, the attorneys at Buelow Vetter are here to help.
Like you, we believe that all students deserve equal access to educational resources like robust academic and extracurricular programs, excellence in teaching, technologically-advanced facilities and high-quality instructional materials, regardless of race, color or place of origin. We can help you develop forms and procedures to protect your district from challenges and provide appropriate guidelines in a nondiscriminatory environment. Additionally, we can assist you in developing conforming facilities use and extra-curricular sponsorship guidelines.
Buelow Vetter attorneys frequently assist school districts in drafting and reviewing their open enrollment policies and procedures. In addition, we provide guidance regarding how to calculate your open enrollment space, process open enrollment applications and even terminate open enrollment. We are also ready to facilitate in mitigating and managing issues related to open enrolled students in your school.
In an effort to protect teachers, the Wisconsin Legislature has created special laws on discrimination, discipline, contract renewal and nonrenewal, discharge and even performance evaluations for teachers. The attorneys at Buelow Vetter are well-versed in practices and procedures for assisting districts and schools in successfully correcting performance deficiencies of teachers, and in representing your organization in the event of teacher nonrenewal or termination proceedings.
Additionally, we can assist in developing policies to enhance the relationship between student achievement, instructional effectiveness and the evaluation process.
Buelow Vetter’s team of attorneys understands that individual teacher and administrator contracts are a matter of critical importance within every educational institution. Whether you need assistance in reviewing and updating existing contracts, or developing new documents that reflect the latest laws, we have the expertise you need.
Since the adoption of Act 10, we have been developing contract components that reinforce school board policy and handbook provisions. These changes assist districts in improving recruitment and retention of outstanding professional staff.
Our public school attorneys regularly conduct training and seminars for administrators, teachers and staff on a variety of school-related topics. In fact, we often create customized training sessions for both newly-hired and experienced teachers and administrators that incorporate your policies and best practices. To facilitate this, we thoroughly review important topics that professional educators need to know to perform their job duties and prevent or minimize legal issues for your district.
Since Buelow Vetter has the privilege of serving as general counsel for many of our educational clients, we provide a comprehensive set of business services, ranging from contract review to human resources and personnel insight. Whatever you may need, we are here to help.
Contracts
Before you enter into an agreement or sign a contract with a teacher, a contractor or a service provider, let Buelow Vetter review these important documents to ensure that your interests are protected. We can assist you in protecting the public interest while recognizing the business requirement of school district operations. From privacy to remedies to protecting from liability, we can assist in the review and drafting of contracts.
HR/Personnel
Before you enter into an agreement or sign a contract with a teacher, a contractor or a service provider, let Buelow Vetter review these important documents to ensure that your interests are protected. We can assist you in protecting the public interest while recognizing the business requirement of school district operations. From privacy to remedies to protecting from liability, we can assist in the review and drafting of contracts.
Police and Fire agencies present unique legal problems, which require unique legal responses. Our firm has the depth and breadth of experience necessary to effectively represent the interests of law enforcement management, including providing representation in police and fire commission hearings.
Each school district faces unique issues in recruiting and retaining the best administrators to their district. Buelow Vetter attorneys can assist you in drafting policies, preparing administrator contracts and establishing salary and benefit levels for administrators, to optimally position you for success.
With more and more information being requested by stakeholders, students, parents and the media, open meetings have become increasingly important and stressful for boards of education. Buelow Vetter has decades of experience successfully preparing board members for all types of open meetings, and is standing by to help you effectively navigate any pitfalls and allowing your focus to take center stage.
Carefully drafting meeting notices, closed session descriptions and meeting minutes is critical to avoiding statutory violations and potential liability. We will assist you in not having these types of issues distract you from the business of education.
We understand that public records requests are not only time consuming, but they often blur the lines of what information is truly public versus that which should remain private. Trust Buelow Vetter to take public records requests off of your very full plates, freeing you up to focus on your core competencies.
Our public school attorneys will make recommendations on the appropriate level of redaction and disclosure consistent with your policies and sound public policy.
Public School employees and elected officials are subject to conflict of interest and ethics statutes. School boards effectively avoid damaging situations by promulgating policies and handbook provisions which set clear boundaries. Buelow Vetter has worked with districts to develop policies and notices, as well as issued written guidelines so as to prevent and remedy violations.
School board policies constitute the “statute book” which governs all aspects of district operations. The well-drafted policy book includes policies ranging from accommodations to zero tolerance. We can help you to evaluate, update and draft policies, crafted to meet your individual district’s needs.
UnitedHealthcare creates and publishes the machine-readable files on behalf of Buelow Vetter. To access the machine-readable files, please click here.
If you are already an active client of Buelow Vetter, please reach out to your regular Buelow Vetter attorney or attorneys. If you do not yet have an attorney-client relationship with Buelow Vetter, please feel free to reach out to any attorney or one of the following administrators: tdinsmoor@buelowvetter.com or sdavis@buelowvetter.com. Please understand that simply sending any information will not create an attorney-client privilege. You should not send any time-sensitive or important information until you have established an attorney-client relationship with Buelow Vetter because any information you send may be used against you or disclosed to third parties.
Buelow Vetter is privileged to serve several private K-12 schools and higher education institutions across Wisconsin. We appreciate the hard work and sacrifice that the teachers, staff and employees of private school make to educate and enrich the lives of the students they serve.
Our private school attorneys help you to meet the needs of your students through our commitment to providing experienced advice to guide you in the education and discipline of students, assessing and compensating your teachers and staff, creating administrator contracts and much more.
Disciplining students is an unfortunate part of managing an educational institution. However, when issues arise, Buelow Vetter is committed to helping you to resolve these issues appropriately, efficiently and as discretely as possible, so you can remain focused on delivering a quality education to your students.
Our private school attorneys provide sound advice that ranges from drafting policies and student handbooks, to disciplining students for conduct occurring off school grounds. Additionally, we represent school boards or administrators during expulsion proceedings, including defending expulsion orders when appealed to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), or in state or federal court proceedings.
Buelow Vetter attorneys have exceptional experience in defending educational institutions during government investigations, including Office for Civil Rights (OCR) proceedings and Department of Justice audits. Additionally, we defend schools against student complaints filed with the OCR, alleged individual violations of the Rehabilitation Act or Title II. To help avoid these issues, we also draft and update policies and procedures on behalf of our clients, including non-discriminatory, behavioral assessment, involuntary withdrawal and readmission procedures.
With an increasing dependence on computer technology, the security of student records has become a more frequent and complex issue for school administrators. Buelow Vetter attorneys have extensive experience in advising districts on a variety of topics including parental rights to student records, the use of technology to maintain a safe school environment, access to student records by the media or law enforcement agencies, and even what constitutes a “student record” in the digital and social age. Finally, we also assist public schools in harmonizing any applicable public records requirements.
At Buelow Vetter, we regularly consult with school administrators on the legal rights and responsibilities of students. Common issues that we advise districts on include free speech, religion, search and seizure, harassment, bullying and drug and alcohol testing. While our role varies from district to district, you can count on our team to deliver sound day-to-day advice, diligence in reviewing and updating your policies and handbooks, and passionately defending your school board in the event of litigation.
We understand that a student handbook or code of conduct is an essential tool for every school and district, as clear and meaningful handbooks and policies are the keys to avoiding misunderstandings, liability and litigation. And while the needs of every school are different, it’s important to realize that a policy that works for one district may not be as effective in another. If you need help fine-tuning your district’s handbook or codes of conduct to align with evolving trends, technological advances and other elements driving change in education, the attorneys at Buelow Vetter are here to help.
From entrance testing to enrollment contracts, Buelow Vetter attorneys stand ready to assist your school in complying with non-discrimination requirements throughout the enrollment process. As the same time, we can help to ensure that your tuition contracts and handbooks inherently address enrollment or enrollment related issues, including expulsion.
In an effort to protect teachers, the Wisconsin Legislature has created special laws on discrimination, discipline, contract renewal and nonrenewal, discharge and even performance evaluations for teachers. The attorneys at Buelow Vetter are well-versed in practices and procedures for assisting districts and schools in successfully correcting performance deficiencies of teachers, and in representing your organization in the event of teacher nonrenewal or termination proceedings.
Additionally, we can assist in developing policies to enhance the relationship between student achievement, instructional effectiveness and the evaluation process.
Buelow Vetter’s team of attorneys understands that individual teacher and administrator contracts are a matter of critical importance within every educational institution. Whether you need assistance in reviewing and updating existing contracts, or developing new documents that reflect the latest laws, we have the expertise you need.
Since the adoption of Act 10, we have been developing contract components that reinforce school board policy and handbook provisions. These changes assist districts in improving recruitment and retention of outstanding professional staff.
When it comes to evaluating the performance of your teachers and ensuring that their compensation is commensurate, Buelow Vetter can help you evaluate and update your current program to ensure that your school is attracting and retaining the highest quality educators.
Act 10 has opened the door to innovation in pay for performance and merit pay programs, yet revenue controls have limited this new found flexibility. Buelow Vetter can help you develop sustainable compensation programs which integrate both salary and benefits, while taking into account current budgetary realities.
Our private school attorneys regularly conduct training and seminars for administrators, teachers and staff on a variety of school-related topics. In fact, we often create customized training sessions for both newly-hired and experienced teachers and administrators that incorporate your policies and best practices. To facilitate this, we thoroughly review important topics that professional educators need to know to perform their job duties and prevent or minimize legal issues for your district.
Since Buelow Vetter has the privilege of serving as general counsel for many of our educational clients, we provide a comprehensive set of business services, ranging from contract review to human resources and personnel insight. Whatever you may need, we are here to help.
Contracts
Before you enter into an agreement or sign a contract with a teacher, a contractor or a service provider, let Buelow Vetter review these important documents to ensure that your interests are protected. We can assist you in protecting the public interest while recognizing the business requirement of school district operations. From privacy to remedies to protecting from liability, we can assist in the review and drafting of contracts.
HR/Personnel
Before you enter into an agreement or sign a contract with a teacher, a contractor or a service provider, let Buelow Vetter review these important documents to ensure that your interests are protected. We can assist you in protecting the public interest while recognizing the business requirement of school district operations. From privacy to remedies to protecting from liability, we can assist in the review and drafting of contracts.
We are experienced in defending religious schools and institutions and their valued employees against allegations of religious and other forms of discrimination, including challenges to an institutions religious exemption from Title VII or local anti-discrimination ordinances. At Buelow Vetter, our goal is to help our clients adopt policies and procedures that uphold the law while celebrating the unique religious and cultural identity of their institution.
At Buelow Vetter, we guide public schools and other entities through the process of establishing a charter school, including virtual charter schools. In addition to assisting you with the myriad of issues and laws relating to your employees and students, we can support you through drafting and reviewing charter school contracts and determining which statutes and regulations apply to your particular school. Additionally, we can provide guidance regarding your legal obligations to serving children with disabilities.
UnitedHealthcare creates and publishes the machine-readable files on behalf of Buelow Vetter. To access the machine-readable files, please click here.
If you are already an active client of Buelow Vetter, please reach out to your regular Buelow Vetter attorney or attorneys. If you do not yet have an attorney-client relationship with Buelow Vetter, please feel free to reach out to any attorney or one of the following administrators: tdinsmoor@buelowvetter.com or sdavis@buelowvetter.com. Please understand that simply sending any information will not create an attorney-client privilege. You should not send any time-sensitive or important information until you have established an attorney-client relationship with Buelow Vetter because any information you send may be used against you or disclosed to third parties.
