Berea Independent School District

Extending a warm welcome to all students and staff returning to the building this morning to kick off the 2025-2026 school year! So happy to see our beloved building come alive again. And to all our proud parents, as you're taking those first-day-of-school photos of your kiddos, remember to email them to luke.seals@berea.kyschools.us so we can put together a showcase of our excited students as they set out on their first day of school!

We wish you all a great year ahead!

🎉 Happy Birthday, Dr. Neaves! 🎉

We’re excited to celebrate our Superintendent today and thank him for the incredible leadership he’s shown these last two months. Your dedication to our schools and community has already made a lasting impact. We’re proud to have you at the helm of our Pirate ship as we sail into the new school year.

Join us in wishing Dr. Neaves a fantastic birthday!

A huge thanks to our community partners, Sara White from Milton Hershey Company, Chase Riddle, Belinda Riddle, Larinda Agee, Steve Riddle from Corley & Foley Law Offices, Brian and Keith from Green Dot, our Berea Retired Teachers, and all our other amazing volunteers for providing meals for our Berea staff as they prepare for the first day of school. We are so grateful for your support and dedication to our community!

This week, our high school class meetings were a huge success! Students came together to learn about the upcoming school year, set goals, and build a stronger school community. From important reminders to moments of motivation, these meetings helped kick off the new school year on the right foot. Huge thanks to everyone in attendance. Here's to a great year ahead!

Berea Community Schools is thrilled to welcome Luke Seals as our new Public Relations Specialist! A proud Berea alum, Luke is here to strengthen communication between our district and our community. Join us in giving him a warm welcome to the Berea family!

Dear Pirate Families,
As you may be aware, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 181 (SB 181) during the 2025 legislative session. This law requires that all electronic communication between school employees or volunteers and students must occur through a school district’s approved, traceable communication system, unless a parent or legal guardian provides written consent allowing otherwise.

The goal of SB 181 is to protect students, encourage appropriate boundaries, and promote transparency in communication between staff and students. To meet the requirements of SB 181, our district has designated the following platforms as approved traceable communication systems:

District-issued Google Communication Tools
Apptegy

When SB 181 first became law, our district chose not to accept waivers, prioritizing consistent and universal safeguards. However, following updated guidance from the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, it is now clear that districts must accept parental waivers as outlined in KRS 160.145(4). Staff and volunteers are expected to use only the approved methods when communicating with students unless a valid waiver is on file.

If you wish to allow a specific school employee or volunteer to communicate with your child through personal methods such as texting, phone calls, or social media (e.g., church groups, non-school athletics), you may complete a waiver and return it to your child’s school office.

We will also have additional information available at our Back to School Bash this Friday. Staff will be available to answer any questions. Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to keep our students safe, supported, and connected. Check your email for a copy of the waiver to be used.

Our Kindergarten Camp was a flying sucess, over thirty students in attendance. Our elementary staff is excited to kick off the start of this new school year!