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Back to school Aug. 6: Martin County sets the clock on 2025–26
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
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No phone zone: School board adopts policy prohibiting cellphones during instructional time
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Sweeping new state laws are changing the way students and teachers in Martin County communicate, use their phones, and engage with technology in the classroom. Senate Bill 181 and House Bill 208 — which target cellphone use and electronic communications in schools — took center stage Monday during
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Opinion: All lawmakers and the governor agreed: SB 181 is necessary. We will make sure it’s clear and effective
BY SEN. LINDSEY TICHENOR Now that Senate Bill 181 is in effect, having passed 137-0 and been signed into law by the Governor in April, lawmakers have received questions about its implementation and overall necessity. The law requires school staff and volunteers to use traceable, district-approved platforms for direct communication with students—tools that parents can
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How SB 181 impacts teacher-student communications
During the 2025 Regular Session, the General Assembly passed several pieces of legislation focused on protecting and supporting Kentucky’s most vulnerable. Without a doubt, at the top of that list are our children. One of the most significant measures passed to protect our youth was Senate Bill 181. This legislation addresses electronic communications like texts
