BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Backpacks at the ready: Martin County students will head back to school Aug. 6.
According to the school district’s 2025–26 calendar, teachers report a day earlier for opening day Aug. 5. This follows a round of professional development July 29–31 and Aug. 4.
The last day of school for students is on the calendar for Friday, May 8. Teachers will stick around through May 11 for closing day, then wrap up the year with three days of professional learning May 12–14.
In total, the year includes 185 contract days. Those days consist of 170 instructional, five professional learning, four professional development, four holidays and the opening and closing days that bookend it all.
Key breaks include a full fall break Sept. 29–Oct. 3. September also includes a day off Friday, Sept. 12, while the school district will observe Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 1.
Thanksgiving break is technically a full week for students — Nov. 24-28 — but only Nov. 26 and 28 are student holidays. The 24th and 25th are for professional learning.
Winter break kicks off Monday, Dec. 22 and runs through Friday, Jan. 2, with New Year’s Day (Jan. 1) marked as a holiday. Jan. 19 also gets a day off.
And yes, spring break is on the books for March 30–April 3.
The calendar checks all the state-required boxes, but as always, there is potential for weather-related makeup days and schedule shifts. For now, summer has a countdown.
Online registration open
Earlier in July the school district announced that online registration for the 2025-26 school year is open. Parents will need to go through their parent portal to complete it.
If you need to reset your password, please send an email to registration@martin.kyschools.us.
The school district requests that you complete the MEAL BENEFITS registration as well.
SB 181
In a letter dated July 24, Schools Superintendent Larry James notified parents and guardians of a new state law that changes how school personnel and volunteers may communicate with students outside regular school channels.
Senate Bill 181, passed by the Kentucky General Assembly, mandates that all electronic communication between students and school employees or designated volunteers must be traceable, transparent and appropriate. The law is designed to promote student safety while maintaining open communication between families and school staff.
Under the new law, school employees and volunteers must use traceable platforms when interacting electronically with students. Parents or guardians must provide written consent for any communication that takes place outside official school channels.
The law also requires school districts to document parental consent and ensure that all communications adhere to district policy.
In response, Martin County Schools has adopted a “Consent for Outside Traceable Communication” form. The form is available at each school and must be completed if parents wish to authorize school personnel or volunteers to communicate with their child outside the district’s approved systems.
“We appreciate your continued support as we work to maintain a safe, respectful, and well-regulated learning environment for all students,” James wrote in the letter.
