Kentucky school emergency plan law

What does Kentucky require of school emergency plans?

KRS 158.162 requires each local board of education to have the school council, or the principal where there is no council, in each school building adopt an emergency plan. The statute defines the plan as a written document to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. The current text of KRS 158.162 took effect July 15, 2024.

Who must have a plan?

The plan duty falls on local boards of education for school buildings in their jurisdiction; KRS 158.162(2)(a) puts no plan duty on private schools. Public charter schools are exempt from most statutes but must meet the same health and safety requirements as all public schools. Private and parochial school governing bodies, like local districts, must set up an earthquake and tornado emergency procedure system. Each board of education must also adopt a district plan of immediate and long-term strategies on school safety and discipline.

What must the plan contain?

The statute lists three things the plan must include. It does not name reunification, parent communication, incident command roles, students with disabilities, or recovery and mental health.

Separately from the plan's listed contents, each school building must:

Each public school building's council or principal must set building lockdown procedures, including protective steps during and right after a lockdown. An emergency action plan for each school-sanctioned off-campus nonathletic event must set out staff and emergency personnel roles, how they communicate, and emergency transport. School mapping data must include accurate floor plans laid over verified aerial imagery. The Kentucky 911 Services Board develops mapping data for each public school, public charter school, and any private school that asks to take part.

How often is the plan reviewed?

After each school year ends, the school nurse, school council, principal and first responders must review the plan and revise it as needed. KDE (Kentucky Department of Education) guidance says all public school buildings must review their emergency management plan every year and update it before school starts.

Is the plan submitted, and to whom?

The plan must be given to the right first responders and to all school staff. "First responders" means local fire, police and emergency medical staff. By November 1 of each school year, the superintendent must send KDE verification that all schools in the district comply with KRS 158.162. KDE guidance says each school submits a School Safety Report in the Cognia Improvement Platform by October 1, and the superintendent's November 1 verification goes through the District Safety Report there.

How do schools work with police, fire and emergency management?

Each superintendent must appoint a district school safety coordinator. The coordinator writes all-hazards policies, including hostage, active shooter and lockdown drills, with fire, police and EMS, for review and adoption as part of the school emergency plan. Those recommended policies must encourage students to take part, as appropriate, in developing the school's plan. The coordinator must make sure each campus is toured at least once a school year with public safety agencies. The coordinator must name a threat assessment team of two or more staff members at each school. Local law enforcement agencies must be invited to help set lockdown procedures.

What training goes with the plan?

Before the first instructional day of each school year, the principal must discuss the plan with all school staff and record the time and date. The cardiac emergency response plan must be rehearsed by simulation before each athletic season. Students and staff must be told about building lockdown procedures every year. The district safety coordinator must complete the Center for School Safety training program within six months of appointment, and that training must cover all-hazards drill policies, including hostage and active shooter situations.

Is the plan confidential?

The emergency plan is excluded from the Kentucky Open Records Act. The coordinator's recommended policies and procedures are also excluded. The coordinator keeps the district's school mapping data available to public safety agencies, and that data is excluded from the Open Records Act.

How is it checked?

Within KRS 158.162, the check on the plan is the superintendent's November 1 verification to KDE. A district with a school that does not meet the access-control rules cannot get KDE approval for new construction or expansion without verification of compliance, apart from listed exceptions. The Office of the State School Security Marshal does on-site reviews, as the marshal deems necessary, to check the KRS 158.162(3) building duties. The state school security risk assessment tool must evaluate school emergency and crisis preparedness planning. Each year the superintendent must verify to the state school security marshal and KDE that all schools completed the risk assessment for the previous year, as a KDE regulation also requires. A school that did not complete a risk assessment the previous year must give all staff added mandatory training. The district safety and discipline plan is the basis for any request for state school safety grant money.

What changed recently?

2026 HB 652, which amended the school mapping law (KRS 158.4433), was vetoed April 13, 2026; both chambers overrode the veto April 14, 2026, and it became 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 163. KRS 158.4433 (school mapping) was amended in 2026, effective April 14, 2026. 2026 HB 643 (Alyssa's Law: optional wearable panic alert systems and a grant program) passed the House 93-0 on March 17, 2026, but did not pass the 2026 Regular Session; its last action was March 18, 2026.