Traceable Communication System

Frequently Asked Questions

Please note that this law applies to all employees and volunteers in Pulaski County Schools (aka "Pulaski County").

• I'm a school employee/volunteer, but not in Pulaski County. Do I need to get a consent form to communicate with a student in Pulaski County?
  No. The law only restricts communication between a student and an employee/volunteer in the student's school district.

• Who is considered a school volunteer in this law?
  The law defines a qualified school volunteer as an adult who is not a school district employee or enrolled in the school district and has served the school or district at any point during the current school year: as a student teacher, a nonfaculty coach or assistant coach, a nonfaculty sponsor of an extracurricular program or activity, a school-sponsored academic tutor, or in a nonfaculty student services role designated as a qualified school volunteer by the local board of education. 

• I'm a school employee/volunteer in Pulaski County, and I'm also the leader of a youth group/scouting troop/travelling sports team that's not associated with the school. Do I need a parent consent form to communicate with my group/troop/team kids?
  Yes. The law continues to apply to leaders of youth groups, scouting troops, and travel ball teams who are also school employees/volunteers. But you only need a parent consent form for the students who attend school in the district where you are employed.

• I'm a school employee/volunteer in Pulaski County. Can I call a student using a district phone?
  Yes. But you may not call from a personal phone.

• I'm a school employee/volunteer in Pulaski County, related to a Pulaski County student. Do I need a parent consent form to text the student?
  Maybe. The law now permits these relatives to communicate with a student outside the traceable system: parent, brother, sister, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, niece, or grandparent related to the student by blood, by marriage, or by adoption; or an adult that resides in the same household as the student.

• I'm a school employee/volunteer, but I run my own business. Can I communicate with student employees or student customers via private communications?
  Yes, if you have completed "a written disclosure notifying the school district of a commercial or local government affiliation that could result in private electronic communication with a student." We'll probably have a form for this in the near future.

• I'm a student, and I've turned 18. Can I sign a parent consent form myself, or do my parents still have to sign?
  You, the adult student, may sign your own consent form. But the form is still required.

• May a school employee/volunteer operate an unofficial social media group open only to district students who are members of a particular sports team, group or club for the purpose of communicating team/club information with students?
  A social media account operated by a school employee/volunteer and restricted to students for team/club communication meets the definition of electronic communication with a student. Therefore, such a social media account would be prohibited unless: (1) It is designated by the district as a traceable communication system; (2) Two or more school district employees or volunteers and one or more students are included, and it is in direct relation to an academic, athletic, or extracurricular activity; (3) Parents of the student are included as participants in the group; or (4) Parents provide written consent for the electronic communication through the team/club social media account.

• May a school employee/volunteer operate a personal social media account although that school employee/volunteer knows some district students may see posts to their personal social media accounts?
  Yes.  Social media posts and comments that are not private communications on social media are not prohibited.

• Where can I find more information about this law?
  See the links to "Related Resources" at the top of this webpage.

General Information

History: Traceable Communication System

In June 2025, Kentucky Senate Bill 181 required that all electronic communication between school employees/volunteers and students occur within district-approved, traceable communication system. In April 2026, House Bill 67 updated some of the requirements. These bills resulted in KRS 160.145, which is the related statute.

Why This Matters

This law was created to protect students by ensuring that all digital communication with school employees/volunteers is safe, appropriate, and transparent. It promotes accountability and helps prevent misuse of private messaging systems.

Approved Communication Systems

To comply with the law, only the following systems -- which are approved by, provided by, and connected to the district -- may be used for communication between staff and students:

• School Email

• Google Classroom

• ClassDojo

• ParentSquare (Remind)

• Messenger XR-E

Approved systems related to Dual Credit partners:

• Blackboard (Anthology)

• Starfish (EAB)

• Outlook Email (kctcs.edu domain)

Staff will use these systems for all messages, including, but not limited to:

• Homework and assignments

• School updates and reminders

• Encouragement and support

Not Allowed: Personal or Untraceable Systems

The following systems may not be used for communication between staff and students without an up-to-date parent consent form:

• Calls on private phones

• Text messages

• Facebook Messenger (except accounts that are directly connected to the district's business profile, such as schools, clubs, teams, etc.)

• Instagram Private Messages

• X (Twitter) Private Messages

• Any other unapproved or untraceable apps

Exceptions with Parental Consent

Communication through other systems may be allowed only if a parent/guardian provides written consent. A consent form is available for families who wish to authorize this. This form should be kept on file in the student's school.