Electronic Communication with Students

OVERVIEW

Starting July 1, 2025, KRS 160.145 in Kentucky requires restrictions on how school district employees and volunteers are allowed to communicate with students using digital platforms.

Personal phone calls, text messages, personal emails, social media, and any other unauthorized electronic communications are not allowed between Calloway County employees and volunteers and Calloway County students.

If it is necessary for a school district employee or volunteer to communicate with a student digitally, it must happen on a board approved platform. Those platforms are: Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, School District email, or the Band app registered to our school district.

There are some exceptions for unapproved electronic communication. Those exceptions include:

• Family members (parent, brother, sister, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, grandparent, cousin, nephew, niece)
• Emergency situations
• School-sanctioned field trips or work-based learning
• Local business or government communication (prior disclosure from the employee/volunteer)
• Instruction related communication (NTI, phone calls from a district phone, academic feedback)
• Communication that includes two or more district employees or volunteers
• Communication that includes the parent of the student

For some unique situations (close family friend, Sunday school class, etc.), the student, parent, and employee can complete a waiver form and submit it to the district’s central office. That waiver form can be found here. 

An employee/volunteer can disclose a commercial relationship with a student in advance (babysitters, lawn care, employees or coworkers in an outside business, etc.).

Waiver forms can be submitted to Josh McKeel at the central office.

A parent or guardian who wishes to review digital communication between his/her student and an employee or volunteer should contact Ryan Marchetti in the central office.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What happens if a school employee or volunteer uses untraceable digital communication with a student?

The law requires the district to report to EPSB for certified staff and report/investigate all classified staff and volunteers.

 

I am a volunteer at an elementary school, but I text with a CCHS student who is our babysitter. Is this allowed?

That is an exception and the employee/volunteer needs to disclose that commercial relationship with the district prior to unauthorized communication.

 

I am a district employee/volunteer and my child has friends who contact me on my cell phone. Is this allowed?

Under the law, it is not allowed. A waiver form will need to be completed for each student or unauthorized communication would need to include that student's parent.

 

I am a district employee/volunteer and I lead a group of students outside of school (travel sports team, Sunday school class, etc.). How can I communicate with those students?

The employee/volunteer would need to use a district approved platform. On an unapproved platform, a waiver form will need to be completed for each student, or all communications would need to include the student's parent.

 

Can a parent/guardian complete a single waiver form for multiple employees or volunteers?

Unfortunately, no, and this is specified in the law itself.

 

Can Calloway employees and volunteers still communicate with students in other school districts?

Yes, there are no restrictions on communications with students outside of the Calloway district.

 

Can an employee or volunteer comment on a social media post that has a student tagged or in a picture?

Yes, but the employee/volunteer cannot communicate with the student on the social media platform.

 

I am a teacher and my classroom phone is forwarded to my cell phone using the 3CX app. Is this allowed?

Employees and volunteers can use district phones to communicate with students and have calls forwarded using the 3CX app. Employees and volunteers cannot use their personal phone numbers to contact students.