With the approval of Senate Bill 181, passed during the 2025 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, and the subsequent approval of House Bill 67, passed during the 2026 Regular Session, school districts across Kentucky are required to implement protocols regarding how school employees and volunteers communicate electronically with students. The primary goal of these laws is to safeguard students by ensuring transparency and accountability in digital interactions.
To ensure our compliance with these mandates, Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) will continue to use the engagement platform TalkingPoints as our primary "traceable communication system." We will also continue to utilize district email, Google Workspace for Education applications, and Infinite Campus for this purpose.
Parents may always log in to their child’s district account to review any communications taking place. If you wish to preview TalkingPoints communications for your child aged 13 or older, please contact your school’s principal and a full transcript can be provided. All TalkingPoints communications for students under 13 will be delivered directly to parents.
What Does the Law Prohibit?
State law strictly prohibits WCPS teachers, classified staff, and volunteers from engaging in "unauthorized private electronic communications" with students. This means staff members cannot use personal text messages, personal email accounts, or direct messages on social media to communicate one-on-one with students outside of our designated, traceable platforms.
State law excludes public social media posts and public comments from the definition of private electronic communication. However, to maintain the highest standard of professional boundaries and prevent inadvertent private two-way communication, future WCPS social media communications will have commenting and direct messaging disabled. You may also notice teachers and staff removing students from their personal social media accounts or heavily restricting their profiles. Please understand that this is not intended as a personal matter, but rather a necessary step to ensure Warren County Public Schools remains in absolute compliance with the new legal requirements.
What Are the Exceptions?
The 2026 passage of House Bill 67 introduced several practical, common-sense exemptions to ensure that educational, athletic, and extracurricular activities can continue smoothly without compromising student safety. Staff and volunteers are permitted to communicate outside the traceable system under the following specific conditions:
Family and Household Members: Communications between an employee/volunteer and a student who is a family member are exempt. The law has expanded this definition to include parents, legal guardians, siblings, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, nieces, nephews, and any adult living in the same household as the student.
Group Communications: Text messages or group chats that include at least two school employees or qualified volunteers and one or more students are permitted, provided they directly relate to academics, athletics, or extracurricular activities.
Field Trips and Work-Based Learning: Communications regarding logistics and coordination during a school-sanctioned field trip (for which your child has permission to attend) or a work-based learning program are allowed.
Parent-Inclusive Messages: Any text, email, or message where a parent is actively included as a recipient or participant is permitted.
Disclosed Community Roles: If an educator interacts with your child through an outside community role (such as a church youth group leader, Boy/Girl Scout leader, or as an employer at a local business), they may communicate regarding those specific activities, provided the educator has previously filed a formal disclosure of this affiliation with the school district.
Emergencies: Staff may text a student in the event of an emergency involving an imminent risk to health, safety, or property. Staff are required to report these communications to administration immediately after the incident is resolved.
Parental Consent Forms
If an electronic communication is necessary but does not fall under the exemptions listed above, a parent or guardian may legally authorize specific district employees or volunteers to communicate electronically with their child outside of the traceable system. A completed consent form must be filed in the administrative office of the student's school prior to any outside electronic communication being sent.
Link to consent form: https://bit.ly/sb181consent
We appreciate your partnership, patience, and understanding as we navigate these important legislative updates designed to protect our school community.
Respectfully,
Rob Clayton, Superintendent
When can a district employee or volunteer communicate with my child(children) outside of the traceable communication system(s) without a consent form?
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