Perry County schools prepare for new year with leadership, policy changes

Kent Campbell’s new contract through June 30, 2030 gives Perry County schools a more stable top leadership structure as the district heads into a school year shaped by updated handbooks, conduct rules and an Aug. 1 first day for students. The 2025-2026 Employee Handbook names Campbell as superintendent, and the district’s stated vision is to prepare students to be post-secondary ready community leaders and innovative thinkers.

For families in Hazard, Vicco, Buckhorn and Chavies, the changes matter most in the daily routines that start as soon as classes resume. Perry County’s 2025-26 calendar puts staff professional development and registration or open house in late July and early August, followed by the first full day of school on Aug. 1. That means bus schedules, drop-off plans, meal routines and after-school coverage all tighten at the same time that classrooms are resetting expectations for attendance, behavior and communication.

Policy changes can reach well beyond the central office. The 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct & Behavior Handbook says it is reviewed, updated and approved each year for necessary changes and to comply with current Board of Education policy. In practical terms, that kind of annual update can affect student discipline, attendance expectations, safety rules, transportation procedures and how school staff respond when problems come up during the day.

The district is entering the year under pressure from more than the calendar. Perry County schools have been dealing with declining enrollment and reduced SEEK funding, which has made planning more difficult for administrators and staff. The system has also faced outside scrutiny through a federal Title IX probe and a Kentucky Department of Education investigation into reporting and handling of sexual misconduct cases, adding more weight to any changes in leadership or policy that shape how schools communicate and respond.

Academic performance remains part of the backdrop as well. District-posted 2024 Kentucky State Assessments results show 24% distinguished and 38% proficient in elementary reading, 10% distinguished and 39% proficient in elementary math, 23% distinguished and 36% proficient in middle school reading, 12% distinguished and 33% proficient in middle school math, 15% distinguished and 26% proficient in high school reading, and 5% distinguished and 30% proficient in high school math.

Those numbers help explain why the district is entering the year with a focus on structure. Perry County schools have made leadership, conduct and scheduling decisions that will touch students, parents, teachers and staff from the first day back, and the next test will be how smoothly those changes work once the buses start rolling again.