Several new laws passed during the 2025 Kentucky legislative session will bring noticeable changes for Kentucky schools this coming year — ranging from phone use and reading help to financial literacy and sports eligibility.
These were topics of discussion during the Owensboro Public Schools and Daviess County Public Schools board meetings on Tuesday.
Here’s what each law actually does, based on the official legislation:
Cell Phones in Schools – House Bill 208 calls on school districts to establish a policy for limiting the use of cell phones during instructional time, with some exceptions for emergencies and instructional purposes. The legislation has been signed by the governor.
Child Abuse – Under Senate Bill 120, school coaches will receive training on the duties and procedures for reporting child abuse. The legislation will also add language to sports participation forms telling parents and students about the right to report abuse and how to make a report. The governor has signed SB 120.
Early Literacy – House Bill 240 will require schools to administer a reading assessment to kindergarten and first-grade students within the final 14 days of the academic year. Schools have an option to require students to repeat kindergarten if they fail to meet grade-level benchmarks. However, the bill stipulates that a first-grader who fails to meet the benchmarks must repeat the year. The governor vetoed the legislation, but the veto was overridden.
Financial Literacy – House Bill 342 requires high school students to earn one credit in a financial literacy course before graduation. The governor has signed this bill.
School Calendars – House Bill 241 aims to help school districts that have missed a significant number of days due to severe weather. It will allow districts to change their calendar from 170 instructional days to a variable 1,062 hours, clearing the way for schools to extend their school days with more instructional hours. It also allows the state education commissioner to grant up to five disaster relief days for alternative instruction or waive up to five days for districts unable to achieve 1,062 hours by June 4. HB 241 became law without the governor’s signature.
School Communications – Senate Bill 181 calls on school districts to implement traceable communication systems that will serve as the sole means for staff and volunteers to communicate electronically with students. Parents would have access to review communications sent to their child. Another provision of the bill would allow schools to provide students with age-appropriate training to combat child sexual abuse. The bill received final passage Friday.
School Innovation – Senate Bill 207 will create a waiver process for public school districts to request exemptions from some state laws or regulations – all part of an effort to provide schools with more flexibility to innovate. The governor vetoed the bill, but lawmakers overrode the veto.
Teacher Maternity Leave – Senate Bill 9, among several provisions, calls on school districts to provide teachers up to 30 days of paid maternity leave. The bill received final passage on Friday. Schools have until 2030 to implement this.
