Grooming and Boundary Violation Prevention Training

Grooming and Boundary Violation Prevention Training (2025 WI Act 89)

This page contains information regarding the training module supporting the requirements enacted by 2025 Wisconsin Act 89, which addresses appropriate communication with pupils. 

Wisconsin State Statute requires each school board, governing body of a private school, and governing board of a charter school to annually provide its employees training in identifying, preventing, and reporting grooming and professional boundary violations.

Location of Training

• School staff and volunteers need to know if their employer requires them to access training through the DPI’s new Learning Management System (LMS), LearnProfessional. 
• A web-based version is provided for those not using the LMS including community members and parents.

Both options are available below. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does Act 89 apply to? 

Act 89 applies to all public schools, private schools, and independent charter schools. 

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, each school board, private school governing body, and ICS governing board must ensure that required staff receive annual training addressing the standards established under the law. 

Does my school have to use the DPI training? 

No. The law requires the DPI to make a training available at no cost to schools by September 1, but schools are not required to use the DPI-developed module. A school may use another training if it meets the requirements and standards established under Act 89. 

Regardless of which training is used, the school or district is responsible for ensuring that all required staff complete the training during the 2026-27 school year and annually thereafter. This applies to both licensed and unlicensed staff as required by the law. 

Individuals using the DPI training platform will receive a certificate documenting completion of the module. 

Who is responsible for ensuring compliance? 

The law does not give the DPI authority to monitor or enforce school compliance with the training requirement. Rather, each school board, private school governing body, and ICS governing board is responsible for ensuring compliance within its school or schools. Ensuring compliance includes maintaining training completion verification of employees. 

What do the scenarios in the DPI training mean? 

The scenarios included in the DPI module are examples of behaviors drawn from real-life situations. An individual behavior or action does not, by itself, constitute grooming. Grooming generally involves a pattern of behaviors and circumstances. 

The scenarios are intended to provide opportunities for participants to consider context and make informed judgment calls based on the information presented. They should not be interpreted as examples in which any single behavior automatically constitutes grooming or inappropriate conduct. 

What policies must schools have in place? 

Every school district, private school, and ICS must have an appropriate communication policy in place by September 1, 2026, as required by Act 89. 

The policy must establish standards for: 

• appropriate content and methods of communication with pupils; and 
• a range of consequences for violations of the policy. 

Schools should ensure their policies address the requirements of the law and are in place by the September 1 deadline. 

What about training in languages other than English? 

The legislation did not include an appropriation specifically for development of the required training. The DPI is currently working to secure resources to develop a Spanish-language version of the module. 

We appreciate the work schools are doing to implement these requirements and provide safe, appropriate learning environments for students. Thank you for your continued partnership as we implement Act 89. 

Additional Resources

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in Organizations: Policy and Procedure Workshop

Awareness to Action’s workshop and technical assistance is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s six key components for prevention in youth-serving organizations.