Electronic Communications

Kentucky law sets clear guidelines and standards for how school personnel and volunteers can communicate with students electronically. The primary goal of the law is to reduce the risks associated with unmonitored or untraceable electronic communications. The law ensures that electronic communication is visible, secure, and accessible to school administrators and families.

Beginning June 27, 2025, all communication between school staff and volunteers and students can occur only through platforms approved by the Madison County Board of Education. These platforms are specifically designed to allow messages to be archived, reviewed, and documented, which supports transparency and accountability.

Madison County Schools will be utilizing the following Board-approved tools for communication:

1. District Email Account (@madison.kyschools.us)
2. Finalsite products, including Mobile Chat and Messages XR-E
3. Go Guardian Teacher
4. Google Classroom
5. Imagine Learning (formerly Edgenuity)

These tools are secure, user-friendly, and already familiar to many of our families and staff.

Students will receive official communication only through approved, traceable platforms.

Parents and guardians will also receive official communication through district approved communication tools, but are able to receive messages on other electronic platforms as well.

To comply with KRS 160.145, the following are no longer permitted for school-related communication with students:

1. Personal text messaging
2. Non-district email messaging, including personal email accounts
3. Social media messaging or direct commenting
4. Any other non-traceable electronic communication application such as WhatsApp, Remind, Group Me, etc.

Any enrolled students - even those who are already 18 years of age - are subject to this law. 

Any electronic communication outside of the approved platforms requires consent from a parent/legal guardian has provided written consent. Written consent can be filed with the district using a paper form or the online consent form.

A parent or legal guardian may provide written consent through the Board approved form for a specific individual employee or volunteer. This consent will give that individual permission to communicate electronically with the child through a designated non-district platform or platforms. Consent forms must be submitted in writing on the Board approved form and filed in the school office before any communication occurs. The forms can give consent to only one staff member or volunteer per form. Consent cannot be given to a broad group of employees or volunteers (ex. “The basketball coaching staff” or “the band staff”). Parents or legal guardians can revoke their consent at any time.

A consent form must be on file for electronic communication between any enrolled student and any employee or school volunteer. Consent forms must be filed by the parent/guardian of each individual student. Students who are of legal age can sign their own consent forms.

Parental/guardian consent is also given for electronic communication for students attending school-sponsored field trips. Electronic communication is limited, however, to communication related to the field trip only.

The Board approved consent form and Board approved online consent form are the only acceptable forms of written consent for communication outside of the Board-approved options. The consent form can be found in the the district's Board Policies and Procedures. It is listed in the Board Procedures as 08.2324 AP.2.