These new Kentucky laws take effect for 2025-26 school year

KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — A slew of bills passed during the regular legislative session are bringing changes to the 2025-2026 school year.

As districts prepare for the start of a new year, many are asking parents to speak with their children about changes such as cellphone bans, a moment of silence, and communication methods with school employees.

Here’s a look at all the bills taking effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

Senate Bill 181: Teacher-student communication

Senate Bill 181 has faced the utmost scrutiny of all the education-related bills. Some school employees even made petitions calling for its revision.

The law aims to regulate how Kentucky public school employees and volunteers can communicate with students, specifically prohibiting text messages or third-party apps. By doing so, lawmakers hope to eliminate untraceable conversations that could be used to groom or exploit children.

“We’re trying to close off that access to kids so that we can reinstate those guardrails and put those protections back in place,” said Republican State Sen. Lindsey Tichenor of Smithfield, who sponsored the bill.

Under the new law, teachers, coaches, and even longtime family friends must now obtain a signed consent form from a parent or guardian before communicating with a student outside of approved platforms.

The bill took effect on June 27. Each district may have different guidelines, but the law requires written communication to be sent to families within the first 10 days of the 2025-2026 school year.

Senate Bill 19: Moment of silence

With Senate Bill 19, a one- to two-minute moment of silence will mark the start of the first class each day in public schools in Kentucky.

Students will be able to decide how to use that time as long as they remain seated and “make no distracting display” so as not to “interfere with, distract from, or impede other pupils’ exercise of individual choice.”

The board of education for each school district will establish the district’s specific policies, which may include reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or the Lord’s Prayer.

Gov. Andy Beshear initially vetoed SB 19, stating that the bill isn’t inclusive of faiths that practice standing prayer and would be easily violated by small children. This veto was overridden and passed in both the House and Senate.

House Bill 208: Cellphone ban

Beginning on June 27, all school districts were required to implement a policy prohibiting cellphone usage during instructional time.

Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, said studies show limiting student cellphone use at school improves mental health and test scores. 

“There’s been a lot of research done on cellphones with kids and the damages it causes to their mental health and to their ability to learn when they’re near,” Bray said. “There have been studies done that show in school districts that have implemented policies to prohibit their usage during instructional time, test scores have jumped up by 6% pretty immediately.”

The bill would also direct the school districts to block access to social media websites on school computers and school internet networks.

Teachers would be allowed to authorize cellphone use for instructional purposes, and students would be allowed to use their phones during an emergency, Bray added.

Rep. Anne Gay Donworth, D-Lexington, noted she may also not be “very popular” with her children by voting in favor of HB 208, but she believes it is the right thing to do.

Several Kentucky districts adopted much stricter policies regarding cellphones for the 2024–25 school year.

Senate Bill 167: Cursive writing courses

Senate Bill 167 was initially passed during the 2024 Regular Session but takes effect in the 2025-2026 school year.

According to the new law, cursive writing will be included in elementary schools’ curriculum.

Lawmakers state that students should become proficient in cursive writing by the end of the fifth grade and that it should be distinct from basic penmanship.

With the implementation of Common Core standards in 2010, cursive writing stopped being required in Kentucky schools.

Senate Bill 120: Protecting student-athletes

This will be the first new school year after Senate Bill 120‘s passage in March 2025. It took effect upon receiving the governor’s signature.

It’ll provide coaches, parents, and athletic staff with more resources to recognize and report abuse.

“High school sports should be a place where Kentucky kids are able to learn, grow, and compete in a healthy and safe environment,” said Sen. Chambers Armstrong. “This bill gives our coaches and school personnel more tools to spot and report child abuse, helping Kentucky’s student-athletes stay safe.”

Lawmakers cited a recent investigation that found at least 80 cases of alleged sexual misconduct by Kentucky middle and high school coaches over the last 15 years.

The Kentucky High School Athletics Association (KHSAA) said it fully supports the new law.

House Bill 240: Kindergarten student screening

Come the end of the 2025-2026 school year, kindergarten and first-grade students will be given a “universal screener” within the final two weeks of instructional days.

According to the new law, the results will determine if the student meets grade benchmarks and is ready to move on.

The law also creates guidelines surrounding repeat years, stating that if a student repeats kindergarten, they cannot be required to also repeat first grade.

Click here for more information on House Bill 240.

FOX 56 has compiled a list of when Kentucky schools are back in session. Click here for more information.