MEMORANDUM
June 27, 2025
Dear Staff, Students, and Parents/Guardians,
We want to inform you of important changes brought about by Senate Bill 181 (SB 181), recent legislation designed to enhance student safety, increase transparency, and ensure parental oversight of electronic communication between school personnel and students.
Beginning June 27, 2025, all school-related communications must be conducted through board-approved traceable and monitorable platforms.
Personal text messages, personal emails, and social media messaging (both individual and group) are no longer permitted for school-related communication as of this date.
What This Means:
All electronic communication between school staff, coaches, volunteers, and students will now take place using only district-approved platforms that are secure and trackable.
In accordance with SB 181, within the first 10 days of the school year, principals will provide parents with information on how they can access and monitor communication between staff, coaches, volunteers, and their children.
Approved Communication Platforms for Rowan County Schools (2025–2026):
Google Workspace (Google Classroom)
Microsoft 0365 email with school account
Edgenuity
ParentSquare (NEW – Primary platform for all school-related messages)
ParentSquare will serve as the district’s official communication tool for all school and extracurricular announcements, messages, and updates. More information will be provided soon by your school principal regarding how to access and use ParentSquare.
Under SB 181, social media DMs, group texts, and personal email accounts are not allowed unless a parent waiver is on file with the school.
We appreciate your cooperation and support as we implement this law to improve the safety and transparency of our communication practices. If you have any questions, please contact your school principal or the district office.
Sincerely,
Rowan County Schools
Coach Kelly Ford Youth Viking Football Camp
When: June 22nd, 23rd and 24th
Where: Rowan County Senior High School Football Field (Paul Ousley Stadium)
Registration starts 3:15 Sunday, Sunday 4pm-6pm, Monday-Tuesday 8:30-11am
For: Grades K-8 (2025-2026 school year)
Cost: $50 for one child, $75 for 2, $125 for three or more. Checks made payable to Youth Viking Camp
Contact Coach Kelly Ford at 606-776-5056 or kelly.ford@rowan.kyschools.us
Elementary Cross Country starts July 21, 2025.
Time: 6PM
Place: Paul Ousley Stadium/High School Multipurpose Field
Eligible: Grades 1-6
Must have up-to-date sports physical.
Join Parentsquare for updates and info: https://www.parentsquare.com/groups/join/y6cjulm3rb
Congratulations to James Hood on completing the prestigious Leadership Institute for School Principals! 🏫✨
Through this powerful leadership development program—supported by the Kentucky Chamber Foundation and delivered in partnership with the Truist Leadership Institute—Mr. Hood joined principals from across Kentucky in a transformative journey focused on self-awareness, navigating change, and building stronger school teams.
The experience is designed to:
✅ Deepen understanding of how beliefs shape leadership behavior
✅ Equip leaders to manage personal and organizational change
✅ Foster environments that elevate teacher engagement and student success
We are proud of Mr. Hood’s commitment to continuous growth and excellence in education. His leadership is a tremendous asset to our school community! 👏
RCPC reviled their new traveling classroom, the Foxmobile, to our board members yesterday before the board meeting. 🦊🚸🎒#amazing#travelingschoolbus#communityschools
May 29th will be the last day of school for students and will be a full day. June 3rd is closing day for staff.
Rowan County Boys Basketball "Hoops on the Hill" set for tonight has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict
We will resume next Tuesday 6:00 to 7:30 with MSU Athletics Director and former Rowan County great Kelly Wells will be our guest Coach
Sorry for any inconvenience
Happy #TeacherAppreciationWeek to all the amazing Rowan County educators who teach & guide our students! The work you do each day stretches far beyond the classroom, building a brighter future for your students and our country.
Preschool Registration Information
This morning, a group of students participated in a peaceful walkout to express their views on an issue important to them. We respect our students' right to free speech and civic engagement, and we recognize their desire to make their voices heard.
The walkout was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner. School staff were present throughout to ensure all students remained safe and supervised during the event.
As a nation and a school community, we take pride in upholding the values of free expression and civil discourse. We are committed to supporting our students as they learn to engage with the world around them in thoughtful and constructive ways.
We appreciate the cooperation of our students and staff in ensuring the event proceeded safely and respectfully.
Rowan County Middle School will begin nominations for our two (2) SBDM parent members beginning Monday April 28th until midnight on Sunday May 4th.
The guidelines to nominate a council member are:
Nominees to the SBDM council must be a parent of a 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student at Rowan County Middle school for the 2025-2026 school year. This includes parents of incoming 6th graders for the 2025-2026 school year.
All nominations must be submitted on the forthcoming nomination form and returned within the time window. Forms will be distributed through social media, email, and be available for pick up by parents at the front office of RCMS on the day of the nomination window.
All nominees must be eligible and willing to run for election.
Elections will be held in person at RCMS from 8AM until 6PM on May 6th. An ID will be required to vote in the election, so please remember to bring it with you! Thank you!
Happy Administrative Professionals Day!
Today we celebrate the amazing administrative assistants who help keep Rowan County Schools running strong! From managing front offices to supporting students, staff, and families, you are truly the heartbeat of our schools.
Your dedication, patience, and positivity make a difference every single day — and we are so grateful for you!
Please join us in thanking these incredible professionals for all they do!
#AdministrativeProfession
💥Online Registration for the 2025-2026 school year will open on June 15th!💥
Online Registration Update!
💥Kindergarten Registration✏️🎒
💥Preschool & Head Start Registration is this Friday, April 11th ✏️
Kindergarten Academy 2025-2026
July 29-August 1
8AM-11:30AM
Open to all incoming Kindergarten Students who are registered. Students will report to their school.
Parent orientation will be held at each elementary school 8:30AM July 30th.
Breakfast and Lunch will be served.
Transportation is available, contact your school to sign up for bus pickup.
Parent drop off begins at 7:40AM/Pickup is at 11:30AM
⚽🏈🏐 Free Sports Physical Day🏀⚾🥎
Enjoy the break next week!. Look forward to seeing you back April 7th!
🌟 At Rodburn Elementary, we’re fortunate to have the BEST faculty and staff who go above and beyond to support our students and community every single day! 💙 In just a few weeks, we'll be celebrating Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week in May, and we want YOU to be part of it! ✨ Now’s your chance to send a heartfelt note of appreciation to a faculty or staff member who has made a difference in your or your child’s life. Whether it’s a teacher, admin, or support staff—let them know how much they’re valued! 💌 📝 How to participate: Write a note of appreciation for a faculty or staff member. Complete the Google Form using this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_55-BlbRU0FKOYfnJbIMXNbzyIZKCloDr6Q1p_KWIqUmLEA/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawJOrKlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRnvxlR7TO_3QlrTSe4T02eAK0WxRvKCRsf0O3eMCWnvXJR7TsOJ3JyzEA_aem_I2yS_3SLP9tyuWuMsH21yA
We’ll share your messages with them during Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week in May! Let’s come together to make our amazing staff feel even more appreciated! 💫 #RodburnStrong #TeacherAppreciation #StaffAppreciation #Gratitude Image