Dear Lawrence County Families, Students, and Community Members,
As we prepare for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, we want to share updates about new state laws that will impact our schools and students.
These changes are designed to keep our students safe and create the best possible learning environment.
Important Update and Notification: Communication Procedures
(Kentucky Senate Bill 181)
A new state law, Kentucky Senate Bill 181 (SB 181), goes into effect for the 2025-2026 school year. This law changes how school staff, volunteers, and coaches communicate electronically (1 to 1) with students.
What does this mean for you?
This law requires us to use only specific, approved, and traceable platforms for any electronic communication with individual students.
These are currently the ONLY approved ways our staff will communicate electronically with individual students:
- Apptegy Rooms
- Infinite Campus (IC)
- Google Classroom
- School Email (not personal emails)
- SportsYou
If any other approved platforms are added by the district in the future, families and students who will need to access any new approved platforms will be notified. Communication through any other electronic platform directly to individual students is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Facebook/Messenger
- Snapchat
- Line
- X (Formerly Twitter)
- Text messaging
- Personal email or other messaging apps
For Parents: When school begins, students and families will receive further directions about how to access and use the specific communication platform your child’s school will be using. Children and families participating in district summer sports will receive further directions once the dead period ends and back-to-school practices resume.
Waivers for Communication: We understand that there might be situations where a parent feels their child needs to communicate with a school employee outside of these approved platforms. If you feel this is necessary for your child, you will need to contact the main office of your child’s school(s) to discuss with the school principal, and complete a waiver form.
This decision is entirely up to each parent.
New State Law. Student Cell Phones at School
(KY House Bill 208)
Another new state law for the 2025-2026 school year addresses student cell phone use during the school day. In Lawrence County, our policy will be:
If a student chooses to bring a cell phone to school, it must be kept OFE and OUT OF SIGHT during the school day. Students will be allowed to use their cell phones at times designated by their school principal or if a school employee gives them a specific time/reason to do so. Our goal is to minimize distractions and help students focus on learning in the classroom.
We truly appreciate your understanding, cooperation, and support as we put these new procedures into place. These measures are designed with the safety of our students as our top priority and to keep the focus for students on learning.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s school
Sincerely,
Katie Webb, Superintendent Lawrence County Schools
Lee Jewell, Principal – Blaine Elementary School
Sara Kise, Principal – Fallsburg Elementary School
Wrendi McDavid, Principal – Lawrence County High School
Angel Derifield, Principal – Louisa East Elementary School
Kristy Sammons, Principal – Louisa Middle School
Courtney Kingsmore, Principal – Louisa West Elementary School
