SB 181 Traceable Communications Fact Sheet
Senate Bill 181, passed during the 2025 regular session of the KY General Assembly, was recently signed into law and sets new requirements for how school employees and volunteers communicate electronically with students. To comply, our district is working to establish a new communication platform between staff, volunteers, and students.
Traceable Communication Systems:
All communication between a school district employee and a student, regardless of the setting, must occur through district-approved platforms that can be monitored and reviewed. These systems will enable parents to access and review their child’s communications with school personnel.
What Is Changing:
This new legislation aligns with Laurel County Public Schools’ current practice of prohibiting unauthorized electronic communication between staff and students, such as text messaging or social media. The use of any personal email account, text messaging, social media, or other electronic notification and communication programs outside of the approved traceable communication system is strictly prohibited unless prior written parental consent has been requested and confirmed. Parents can request a Traceable Communication Exemption Request form at their child’s school, and will be able to download the Form from the district website.
Parental Notification:
Within the first 10 days of each school year, parents will receive information on the district’s approved traceable communication systems and instructions on how to access and review communications between their child and school staff on these systems.
Planning Ahead:
Laurel County Public Schools is updating our communication platforms and policies to comply with this law. Strong communication between students, their families, and school personnel is essential for student success. SB 181 aims to provide all students with a safe learning environment while encouraging more parental involvement and safeguarding school communications.
More detailed information will be provided over the next few weeks.