UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2376
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AN ACT relating to electronic communication with students. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
ď˘SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 160 IS CREATED TO 3
READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) As used in this section, 5
(a) "Parent" means a parent, legal guardian, or other person or agency 6
responsible for a student; 7
(b) "School district employee" means a school administrator, classified or 8
certified employee of a school district, school volunteer, coach of an athletic 9
activity, or sponsor of an extracurricular activity; and 10
(c) "Traceable communication system" means a school notification and 11
communication system that traces all communications sent to or by a 12
student and provides parents an opportunity to access and review those 13
communications. 14
(2) (a) Each local board of education shall designate a traceable communication 15
system that shall be the exclusive means for school district personnel to 16
communicate electronically with students. Except as provided in subsection 17
(3) of this section, school personnel shall not communicate electronically 18
with students: 19
1. Outside of the traceable communication system designated by the local 20
board of education; or 21
2. Through email, text messaging, social media, or other direct 22
messaging systems. 23
(b) A school district employee shall not respond to an electronic 24
communication initiated by a student outside of the traceable 25
communication system without the written parental consent required by 26
subsection (3) of this section. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 2376
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(3) A parent may submit written consent for a designated school district employee to 1
communicate electronically with a student outside of the traceable 2
communication system. The written consent: 3
(a) Shall be filed with the administrative office of the school prior to any 4
electronic communications being sent to a student outside of the traceable 5
communication system; 6
(b) Shall designate a single, specific school district employee that may 7
communicate with the student outside of the traceable communication 8
system and shall not be transferable to any other school district employee; 9
(c) May be revoked by a parent at any time; and 10
(d) May establish terms limiting electronic communication with a student, 11
including a term requiring that a parent be included as a direct party to all 12
electronic communications sent to the student outside of the traceable 13
communication system. Any electronic communication with a student 14
outside of the traceable communication system shall comply with all terms 15
of the written consent. 16
(4) Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (3) of this section, this section shall not 17
restrict any communications between a parent that is a school district employee 18
and his or her own children. 19