DAVID MAMARIL HOROWITZ

david.horowitz@bgdailynews.com

From coaches texting students that a game time has changed, to teachers messaging students to see if they can babysit, to every other electronic communication between students and adults who work at public schools, a new Kentucky law is about to require a substantial change:

Both employees and volunteers at Kentucky public schools must soon use a designated system of traceable communication when electronically communicating with students.

Last Monday, the Bowling Green Independent School District Board of Education approved its own policy to comply with this. It was one of multiple notable policies approved at the meeting to comply with state mandates from the previous legislative session; another imposes new restrictions on phone and social media usage at BGISD schools, and a third requires one to two minutes of silence to start the school day.

A qualifying communications system must be designated by the Board of Education, trace all communications sent to and from students, and provide parents an opportunity to access and review their kids’ communications, according to the policy. This includes outside of school hours.

“It’s really going to be a culture shift for teachers, coaches, band directors, parents, students because the ability to text easily has just become the norm, especially for the young people,” BGISD Superintendent Gary Fields said.

School principals have 10 days into the school year to inform parents about the traceable communication and notification program to be used, according to the policy. BGISD intends to use Apptegy.

BGISD employees and volunteers must notify a principal if they receive a report alleging that an employee or volunteer violated the policy. A report about a principal would be directed to the superintendent, while a report about the superintendent would go to the Commissioner of Education and school board chair, according to the policy.

The authority informed in such a report would immediately notify the parent of each allegedly affected student, prompt an investigation into the person doing work for the district accused of the violation, and proceed with appropriate disciplinary actions, per the policy. Volunteers found to be in violation would be barred from future BGISD volunteer opportunities.

Parents may consent to authorize an employee or volunteer to communicate electronically with their child outside of the system.

“… Our hope is, it’s going to be robust and vibrant and work well,” Fields said. “But kids don’t function in an app – they’re going to hear that and just roll their eyes at us and say, ‘Really – what are you old people doing to us?’ They want you to text them.

So, I think that’s going to be a real tough situation for us to effectively communicate with all kids.”

The policy doesn’t apply to communications between a student and a person who works for the district that is the former’s immediate family, guardian, aunt, uncle or grandparent.

Social media, phone usage

BGISD is also blocking all social media – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X and so on —on its WiFi network, and restricting students from using telecommunications devices during instruction except in emergencies or when instructed by a staff member to do so.

Students with cell service data can still access social media through that means.

“We have to continue to work with students on putting their cell phones down, being engaged, being present,” Fields said.

It doesn’t apply to devices authorized via the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Silence

An addition to the pledge of allegiance policy will have the first class of each school day also begin with one to two minutes of silence.

Students are to remain seated, silent and without a distracting display, according to the policy. BGISD personnel won’t provide instruction during this time.

This is so students may meditate, pray or engage in another silent activity that doesn’t interfere with others’ choice of silence, according to the policy.