Superintendent Weighs In on New Law Requiring Traceable School Communication

MANCHESTER, Ky. — As schools across the mountains begin their summer break, educators and administrators are turning their attention to a new law that could significantly impact how they communicate with students.

Senate Bill 181, recently passed by the Kentucky General Assembly, requires school districts to implement traceable communication systems when employees message students online. The legislation aims to protect students from inappropriate or unmonitored contact by ensuring transparency in all digital interactions between staff and students.

Senator Phillip Wheeler, who co-sponsored the bill, said the goal is not to interfere with positive relationships between students and educators, but to safeguard children from potential misconduct.

“Our intention is not to harm the relationship between students and school administrators or teachers,” Wheeler said. “But just to make sure that kids—who are really our most vulnerable people in society—are protected from that very small number of bad apples who might seek to abuse these types of privileged communications.”

The bill has prompted school systems across the state to reevaluate how staff interact with students on digital platforms, particularly through social media and messaging apps.

The Clay County School District advises staff to “remove any opportunity for a student to contact them in two-way communication. This includes something as simple as a thumbs up on social media.”

“What can a teacher do? What can a teacher say? Should they completely remove every student from their social media? The answer to that is probably yes, because it eliminates the opportunity for that communication to ever occur,” said William Sexton, Clay School Superintendent.

Sexton said the district is reviewing its policies and exploring options for a compliant, traceable communication system.

“We fully support the intent of this legislation to protect our students,” Sexton said. “We’re working to make sure our staff has clear guidelines and the right tools in place so communication is both safe and effective. We want to keep families informed while ensuring every message is accountable.”

Sexton noted that a district-wide communication platform that tracks all school-related interactions is coming soon.