SB 181 Traceable Communication Resource Page

Frequently Asked Questions
● What is a “traceable communications platform?”
○ A "traceable communication platform" is a digital platform designated by the local board of education as the exclusive means for teachers, school employees, and volunteers to communicate electronically with students. The platform must allow parents/guardians to access and review all communications.

● What are the approved traceable communications platforms in Christian County Public Schools?
○ ParentSquare (StudentSquare for students)
○ Gmail, using christian.kyschools.us domain
○ Google Classroom
○ Google Workspace for Education Products, not mentioned above

● Does this law apply to family members of teachers, school employees, and school volunteers?
○ Yes, this law has a narrow definition of a family member who has permission to
contact students outside of an approved traceable communications platform.
Approved family members are as follows: parent/legal guardian, brother, sister,
son, daughter, aunt, uncle, or grandparent.
○ Step-parents (who are not legal guardians of their step-child), step-siblings,
cousins, and any other familial relation that is not mentioned in the approved list
must communicate with their family member who is a student by using an
approved traceable communications platform unless the parent/legal guardian
has signed a waiver.

● Where can I find the waiver?
○ The CCPS Consent for Outside Traceable Communications (“the waiver”) is available by request at the Christian County Public Schools Central Office. (200 Glass Av, Hopkinsville KY 42240)

● Does the waiver provide blanket permission?
○ No, each student must have a waiver for each adult who will be communicating
with them outside of the approved traceable communications platform.
○ For example, if a student has multiple chaperones on a school trip, the
parent/legal guardian of that student will need to submit a waiver for each
chaperone to communicate with their student outside of an approved traceable
communication platform.
○ For example, if a student has multiple coaches on their athletic team, the
parent/legal guardian of that student will need to submit a waiver for each coach
to communicate with their student outside of an approved traceable
communications platform.

● What happens once I complete the waiver?
○ Once all parties have signed the consent waiver, the adult with permission may contact your student outside of an approved traceable communications platform.

● Can the waiver be revoked?
○ Yes, the parent or legal guardian may revoke this permission at any time through
written notification to their student’s school.

● Am I required to complete the waiver in order for my student to participate in athletics and/or extracurricular activities?
○ No, completing the waiver is entirely a parent/guardian's choice.

● I volunteer in my student’s school. Does this law apply to me?
○ Yes, this law applies to school volunteers in all regards.

○ We understand this law may feel overwhelming when you consider yourself a
volunteer; however, compliance for our school volunteers is of the utmost
importance. According to the law, the consequence for school volunteers in
violation of the law is extremely strict.
○ As a school volunteer, if you need to contact a student directly, it must be through an approved traceable communications platform or you must have a waiver in place from the parent/legal guardian of the student.
○ Please note that the law applies when communicating with students even about
matters that do not relate to your school volunteering. For example, if you take a
student, who is not your own, to practice and you are running late, you would
need a waiver in place from their parent/legal guardian in order to text that
student that you are running late.

● Does this law impact how I communicate with teachers, school employees, and school volunteers?
○ No, this law is about student to adult communication. It is not about adult to adult
communication, however, ALL communication is preferred through one of the district's approved communication platforms.

● Can my student be friends or followers with their current or former teachers, coaches, or other school employees and volunteers on social media?
○ If you have completed a waiver for that adult, your student may be friends or
followers with that adult on social media.
○ If there is no waiver in place, teachers, school employees, and school adults may
not engage with students on social media.

STUDENTS

Perhaps you have heard that a new law in Kentucky goes into effect on Friday, June 27. This law is about the communication that teachers, school employees, and school volunteers (i.e. coaches, club sponsors, and more) have with students. The purpose of this law is to protect students and to protect teachers, school employees, and school volunteers.
Here’s what you need to know:
● The law requires teachers, school employees, and school volunteers to communicate with students through a traceable form of communication. It’s all about making sure that all electronic messages between you and your teachers, coaches, or other school staff/volunteers are safe, clear, and can be reviewed by your parents. It means there are specific ways you should communicate with school staff digitally.
● A "traceable communication system" is a digital platform designated by the local board of education as the exclusive means for staff and volunteers to communicate electronically with students. This system must allow parents/guardians to access and review all communications.
● Teachers, school employees, and school volunteers will use Gmail, ParentSquare, or StudentSquare, to communicate with you unless your parent or legal
guardian has provided permission for a teacher, school employee, and/or school
volunteer to communicate with you using a different platform.
○ Your parents/guardians are informed about this option. If they choose to allow
you to have permission to communicate with teachers, school employees, and/or
school volunteers outside of the approved platforms, they will fill out the official
waiver.
○ You will need a waiver for each teacher, school staff, or school volunteer who
communicates with you on a non-approved platform. It is not a blanket permission for all of your teachers, coaches, group leaders, etc.

● As long as you are a student in a school in Kentucky, you may not be a Facebook friend, Instagram follower, TikTok follower, or have any other social media connection to teachers, school employees, and school volunteers.
○ The only exception is approved family, as defined by the law, and teachers,
school employees, and school volunteers who have a waiver submitted by your
parents/guardians.

● We hope you keep following your school, your sports team, your clubs and
extracurricular activities on social media! However, please know that if you direct
message these accounts, you will not receive an answer since social media is not a
traceable form of communication.

Additional Resources

Understanding Senate Bill 181

View the Senate Bill in it's entirety

ParentSquare: How a parent can view their student's communications