Bullitt County schools review first readings of telecommunications and traceable-communication policies after new state laws

Superintendent Dr. Bacon presented first readings of two district policy changes at the Bullitt County Board of Education meeting on June 16, 2025: a telecommunications policy implementing House Bill 208 and a traceable-communications policy (O8.2324) responding to Senate Bill 181.

On the telecommunications policy, Dr. Bacon said the district’s proposed rule limits student use of personal telecommunication devices during instructional time. Under the presented draft, high-school students may bring devices to school but must keep them turned off and stored in a secured bag (purse, backpack or computer bag) rather than in a pocket. Devices are not permitted to be used during instructional time; high-school students may use devices during lunch if the use “does not disrupt the educational environment.” Site-based councils may adopt stricter rules for lunch. Dr. Bacon said elementary and middle school rules remain largely unchanged.

Dr. Bacon emphasized statutory exceptions for students with documented needs: the policy draft explicitly exempts devices authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the district intends to work with the head of nursing and other staff to identify accommodations for students who need device access for medical reasons (for example, diabetes monitoring).

Discipline for violations will be defined in the district’s code of conduct and a separate discipline-matrix that the code-of-conduct committee is developing; the policy itself is a first reading and the discipline procedures will be released in the student handbook once finalized, Dr. Bacon said.

The second policy Dr. Bacon reviewed is the traceable-communications policy in response to Senate Bill 181. That law requires districts to designate a traceable communication system as the official channel for district-to-student communications so that messages can be audited or retrieved when necessary. Dr. Bacon said the district has been piloting the Apogee app and the district will designate Apogee’s “Rooms” component as its traceable-communications platform. He said Apogee has been receptive to district feedback and will issue a major update this summer incorporating requested features from the pilot.

Dr. Bacon said the policy will affect extracurriculars and athletics, where coaches have used a variety of third-party apps, and training sessions for high-school coaches have already been held; the district plans to roll the system out to athletics and extracurricular sponsors and then to middle and elementary programs. He urged parents to download the BCPS app because the district intends to channel district, school and classroom notifications through that single system.

Both policies were presented as first readings; Dr. Bacon noted that policy changes require two readings before adoption, and the district’s communications director — a position he said the district hopes to fill soon — will lead parent and staff communication and training for the changes.