Recreational activities in a school building or on school grounds; limitation of liability
Wis. Stat. § 895.523
in effect(1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Governing body of a charter school” means the person that operates a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2) or (2m) or the entity that operates a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x).
(b) “Injury” means an injury to a person or to property.
(c)
1. Except as provided in subd. 2., “recreational activity” means all of the following:
a. Any indoor physical activity, sport, team sport, or game, whether organized or unorganized, undertaken for the purpose of exercise, relaxation, diversion, education, or pleasure.
b. Any outdoor activity undertaken for the purpose of exercise, relaxation, or pleasure, including practice or instruction in any such activity. In this subd. 1. b., “outdoor activity” includes hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, picnicking, exploring caves, nature study, bicycling, horseback riding, bird-watching, motorcycling, operating an all-terrain vehicle, ballooning, hang gliding, hiking, tobogganing, sledding, sleigh riding, snowmobiling, skiing, skating, water sports, sight-seeing, rock-climbing, cutting or removing wood, climbing observation towers, animal training, harvesting the products of nature, sport shooting, and any other outdoor sport, game, or educational activity.
2. “Recreational activity” does not include any indoor or outdoor organized team sport or activity organized and held by a school district, school board, or governing body of a charter school.
(d) “Recreational agreement” means a written authorization granted by a school board or the governing body of a charter school to a person that permits public access to all or a specified part of the school grounds for the purpose of any recreational activity and that satisfies the requirements under sub. (5).
(e) “School board” means the school board or board of school directors in charge of the public schools of a school district.
(f) “School building” means a building designed for and used as a school by a school district, by a school board, or by the governing body of a charter school.
(g) “School grounds” means real property, and any school buildings, accessory buildings, structures, and improvements thereon, owned, leased, or rented by a school district, by a school board, or by the governing body of a charter school and used primarily for public school purposes.
(gm) “Spectator” means a person who attends or watches a recreational activity but does not engage or participate in or intend to engage or participate in the recreational activity.
(h) “Sport” means an activity requiring physical exertion and skill and which, by its nature and organization, is competitive and includes a set of rules for play.
(2) No duty; immunity from liability.
(a) Except as provided in sub. (3), no school district, no school board, no governing body of a charter school, and no officer, employee, or agent of a school board or of a governing body of a charter school, owes to any person who enters the school grounds of the school board or of the governing body of a charter school to engage or participate in a recreational activity held pursuant to a recreational agreement any of the following:
1. A duty to keep the school grounds safe for the recreational activity.
2. A duty to inspect the school grounds.
3. A duty to give warning of an unsafe condition, use, or activity on the school grounds.
(b) Except as provided in sub. (3), no school district, no school board, no governing body of a charter school, and no officer, employee, or agent of a school board or of a governing body of a charter school, is liable for the death of, any injury to, or any death or injury caused by, a person engaging or participating in a recreational activity held pursuant to a recreational agreement and taking place on the school grounds of the school board or of the governing body of a charter school.
(3) Liability. Subsection (2) does not limit the liability of a school district, a school board, a governing body of a charter school, or an officer, employee, or agent of the school board or of the governing body of a charter school for any of the following:
(a) A death or injury caused by a malicious act or by a malicious failure to warn against an unsafe condition of which an officer, employee, or agent of the school board or of the governing body of a charter school knew, which occurs on the school grounds of the school board or of the governing body of a charter school designated for use in a recreational agreement and being used by a person for a recreational activity held pursuant to the recreational agreement.
(b) The death of or injury to a spectator that occurs on the school grounds of the school board or of the governing body of a charter school designated for use in a recreational agreement during the recreational activity.
(c) The death of or injury to a person participating in a recreational activity involving any of the following pursuant to a recreational agreement:
1. A weight room.
2. A swimming pool.
3. Gymnastic equipment.
(4) No duty or liability created. Except as expressly provided in this section, nothing in this section or s. 101.11 nor the common law attractive nuisance doctrine creates any duty of care or ground of liability toward any person who uses school grounds to engage or participate in a recreational activity held pursuant to a recreational agreement.
(5) Recreational agreement. Each recreational agreement shall include all of the following:
(a) A description of the recreational activity or activities to be held on the school grounds pursuant to the agreement.
(b) The time and place of the recreational activity or activities.
(c) Any eligibility requirements for participation in the recreational activity or activities.
(d) Whether and, if so, to what extent participants who are minors will be supervised.
(e) A clear statement describing a participant’s assumption of risk.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/895.523Fetched: 10/7/2026