Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Secretary-designee Dan Hereth announced today the department’s Rapid School Review plan.
DSPS is dedicating three positions to help expedite plan reviews for daycare and education buildings through Grade 12.
“This is going to allow us to turn around plan reviews for school and child care projects in two weeks or less, roughly twice as fast as the normal building review process,” explained Hereth. “Dedicating these positions allows us to expedite these projects and move them forward as quickly as possible, for the benefit of children and families across the state.”
The DSPS Division of Industry Services conducts more than 1,000 plan reviews each month for commercial buildings, plumbing systems, septic systems, and elevators. They also review school building projects.
“School or education building projects tend to be on tight timelines given the amount of time they are occupied each year,” said DIS Administrator Branden Piper. “Delays can disrupt school or child care operations, and this directly affects Wisconsin children and their families. We want to take the steps we can to minimize the potential for delay, so we are prioritizing those reviews by dedicating these positions.”
DSPS is in the process of hiring the three positions.
The move by DSPS reflects the commitment of the Evers Administration to focus on the importance of child care to the state’s economy and workforce. Gov. Evers in August called the Legislature into a special session, scheduled for September 20, to pass his comprehensive workforce plan that, among other critical initiatives, provided more than $365 million to prevent the state’s looming child care industry collapse and to ensure child care is affordable and accessible for working families statewide. While the legislature has yet to put forward anything the governor feels meaningfully addresses the state’s most pressing child care challenges, Gov. Evers has promised to keep fighting for child care providers, working families, employers, and communities. More information about his comprehensive workforce plan can be found here.
About DSPS: DSPS issues more than 240 unique licenses, administers dozens of boards and councils that regulate professions, enforces state building codes, and maintains the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which is a key tool in the multi-faceted public health campaign to stem excessive opioid prescribing. A fee-based agency, DSPS is self-sustaining and receives no general fund tax dollars for its day-to-day operations. With four offices and 250 employees throughout Wisconsin, DSPS collaborates with constituents and stakeholders across a wide range of industries to promote safety and advance the economy.
