McCracken County Schools: Board Meetings, 2026–27 Calendar & Family Help
The McCracken County Board of Education governs McCracken County Public Schools in and around Paducah, Kentucky. Families and residents most often need the Board meeting schedule, an agenda, the district calendar, a Board member, online registration, transportation help or the correct school office.
This independent guide organizes those routes without treating every school question as a Board matter. Meeting notices, school-calendar changes, transportation information and student-service requirements can change, so the linked McCracken County Schools pages remain the final source.
McCracken County Board of Education quick facts
2026 Board leadership
Kelly Walker is Chair and Tyler Parker is Vice-Chair under the Board’s January 2026 organizational action.
Board office
300 Cumberland Avenue, Paducah, KY 42001.
Current Board notice
The district posted an October 2026 special-meeting notice on September 29.
District scale
MCPS describes itself as an 11-school district serving nearly 7,000 students.
Do not confuse the district with Paducah Independent Schools. McCracken County Public Schools and Paducah Independent Schools are separate Kentucky school systems with different Boards, school calendars, enrollment systems and attendance areas.
Board issue, district service or individual school?
The Board of Education handles governance work such as public meetings, Board policies, budgets, employment approvals, contracts and other actions placed on an official agenda. Daily services are handled by the Superintendent, central-office departments and individual schools.
If you are trying to resolve attendance, pickup, a class schedule, teacher communication or a student-specific school question, starting with the school usually gets you to the right person faster than contacting an individual Board member.
Use the Board route for
Board meetings, agendas, minutes, governance decisions, Board policies, budget actions and Board-member information.
Use central office for
Registration, transportation, pupil personnel, special education, HR, finance, technology and district-wide programs.
Use the school for
Attendance, schedules, grades, teachers, student records, pickup, activities and campus-specific events.
McCracken County Board of Education meetings
McCracken County Schools posts regular meetings, special meetings and work sessions as separate district news items. Recent 2026 examples include a September regular meeting, a September 3 special meeting, August regular and special meetings and an August work session.
The district posted a new item titled “October 2026 – Board of Education Special Meeting” on September 29, 2026. The current official search result confirms that the notice exists but does not expose the exact meeting date or time, so this guide does not guess those details.
Current action
Open the district News page and locate the September 29 special-meeting post before planning to attend.
Typical recent regular meetings
Official 2026 meeting documents show regular Board meetings at 5:30 p.m. at the Cumberland Avenue Board office, but special meetings and work sessions can use different arrangements.
Do not calculate the next meeting from an old monthly pattern. McCracken County frequently posts special meetings and work sessions between regular meetings. The individual current notice is the safest attendance source.
How to use McCracken County Board agendas and minutes
McCracken County publishes meeting agendas as district news items and document attachments. Minutes are the better source when you need the formal record of what the Board actually approved.
Find the exact meeting notice
Match the month, date and meeting type before opening the agenda.
Read the agenda before the meeting
Use it to understand scheduled recognitions, reports, consent items, contracts, budget issues and recommendations.
Do not treat an agenda item as approved
An item appearing on the agenda only shows that it was scheduled for consideration.
Use Board minutes for the formal record
The minutes record motions, votes and final Board action after the meeting.
For example, January 2026 minutes record the election of Board officers, recognitions, approval of previous minutes and financial/business actions. This is more authoritative for final action than a pre-meeting agenda alone.
McCracken County Board of Education members
The January 15, 2026 Board minutes identify all five current Board members and record the annual officer election.
| Board member | 2026 role |
|---|---|
| Kelly Walker | Chair |
| Tyler Parker | Vice-Chair |
| Crystal Culp | Board Member |
| Sheila Cruse Johnston | Board Member |
| Steve Shelby | Board Member |
Leadership detail: Kelly Walker was re-elected Board Chair in January 2026. Tyler Parker was nominated and elected Vice-Chair for the year.
Board member Sheila Cruse Johnston also began service in 2026 as a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, a statewide Kentucky education organization.
McCracken County Schools 2026–27 calendar
The McCracken County Board approved the district’s 2026–2027 school calendar in December 2025. The official district site publishes the calendar directly and keeps a shortcut to it on the homepage.
The retrieved official calendar page presents the year primarily as an image. Because the individual holiday, break and closing dates were not all exposed as selectable official text during this update, this article does not copy an unofficial calendar and label it as Board-approved.
Calendar status
Board approved for the 2026–27 school year.
Bell schedule
MCPS published separate school bell times on August 3, 2026.
Weather changes
Emergency closures and makeup decisions can change later planning.
Live updates
District app, live feed and school notices are useful for operational changes.
Best practice: use the official Board-approved calendar for vacations, custody schedules, appointments and childcare planning, then recheck the live district feed when the date gets closer.
Returning student registration through Campus Parent
McCracken County Public Schools opened returning-student online registration for the 2026–27 school year on July 1, 2026. Families complete the process through Campus Parent.
McCracken County High School also used on-campus registration support in July 2026 for Chromebooks, transportation, cafeteria services, FRYSC and schedule questions. Individual schools can add their own back-to-school steps.
Open McCracken County Schools and choose Online Registration →
McCracken County Kindergarten age requirement
For the 2026–27 school year, MCPS told families that an incoming Kindergarten student should be five years old on or before August 1.
The district used a Kindergarten Intent Form so schools could contact families with registration information, screening dates and next steps.
Age check
Child turns five on or before August 1 for the 2026–27 Kindergarten year.
School follow-up
Individual schools contact families with screening times and registration instructions.
Register 2 Ride and live bus-status information
Transportation registration is a separate family task from ordinary school registration. For 2026–27, MCPS told families to complete a transportation form for each student—even when a child would not normally ride a school bus.
Current students received a student-specific transportation form through the primary contact email in Campus Parent. New students were directed to complete transportation registration when completing district enrollment.
Register 2 Ride
Students should be registered and assigned to a route before riding a district bus.
Bus Status
MCPS also provides a live Bus Status feature with current morning and afternoon route information.
Preschool buses use a separate route: MCPS directs families to the Preschool bus-status page for preschool-specific information.
McCracken County school structure
McCracken County Schools organizes several campuses around the Lone Oak, Reidland and Heath areas in addition to Concord Elementary and McCracken County High School. Knowing the grade structure helps families avoid calling the wrong school.
| School | Grade structure described by district |
|---|---|
| Hendron-Lone Oak Elementary | Elementary, K–3 structure. |
| Lone Oak Elementary | Elementary, K–3 structure. |
| Reidland Elementary | Elementary, K–3 structure. |
| Concord Elementary | Elementary, K–5 structure. |
| Heath Elementary | Elementary, K–5 structure. |
| Lone Oak Intermediate | Grades 4–5. |
| Reidland Intermediate | Grades 4–5. |
| Lone Oak Middle | Grades 6–8. |
| Heath Middle | Grades 6–8. |
| Reidland Middle | Grades 6–8. |
| McCracken County High School | District high school. |
Open Campus and McCracken County Preschool also have their own district sites and service routes even though the district’s standard “11 schools” description focuses on its elementary, intermediate, middle and high school campuses.
McCracken County Preschool locations
McCracken County Public Schools offers preschool programs at its elementary-school sites. In August 2026, the district announced that all of its public preschool sites had earned the highest five-star designation through Kentucky All STARS.
Kentucky All STARS is the Commonwealth’s quality rating and improvement system for early-care and education programs. The five-star rating is a program-quality designation, not a ranking of individual children or schools.
Infinite Campus, district app and family communication
McCracken County uses Infinite Campus for parent and student information, including the Campus Parent account needed for returning-student registration.
The district also promotes its McCracken County Schools mobile app and Rooms communication feature for school-family communication.
Campus Parent
Use for returning registration and other parent-access functions connected with Infinite Campus.
District app
Useful for district news, school updates and access to communication features.
School communication
Use your child’s school for daily attendance, teacher communication, schedules and campus-specific questions.
2026–27 school bell times are published separately
MCPS published its 2026–27 school bell schedule on August 3, 2026. This matters because calendar dates and school-day start/dismissal times are separate resources.
Do not assume every elementary, intermediate, middle and high school starts at the same time. Use the district’s current bell-schedule graphic or the individual school page when coordinating buses, work schedules, medical appointments or pickup.
McCracken County Schools jobs
Employment belongs in the district’s current jobs system rather than the Board agenda archive. MCPS advertises certified, classified, transportation, custodial, school-resource and other openings as needs change.
Current openings
Use the district’s SchoolSpring careers route for live vacancies.
Transportation employment
MCPS has separately recruited bus drivers and other transportation staff, including district-provided training for eligible applicants.
McCracken County Board of Education office
The school district moved its Board/central-office operation to the former Lone Oak Intermediate School property on Cumberland Avenue beginning in 2024. The district now consistently lists this address in its site footer and current Board documents.
Meeting-location check: recent regular Board agendas identify the Cumberland Avenue Board office, but special meetings and work sessions should still be checked individually before travel.
Board records are not student records
Board records
Agendas, approved minutes, policies, budget materials and public Board actions belong in the governance/public-record side of the district.
Student records
Grades, transcripts, attendance, health information and other education records should use the student’s school or authorized district process.
Privacy reminder
Do not send Social Security numbers, health records, passwords, disability documents or other confidential student information to a public Board channel.
Why “Paducah schools” can lead to the wrong district
A Paducah mailing address does not automatically mean a student attends Paducah Independent Schools. McCracken County Public Schools serves families across the county, including communities associated with Lone Oak, Reidland, Heath and other areas surrounding Paducah.
When enrolling or moving, confirm the correct district and assigned school before relying on a school calendar, registration form or bus route.
Common search mistake: “Paducah Board of Education” and “McCracken County Board of Education” are not interchangeable. Verify the district name before submitting student information.
McCracken County school search fixes
You need the October Board date
Open the September 29 special-meeting notice on the current district News page. Do not assume it follows the regular monthly pattern.
You found only the agenda
Use the later minutes when you need proof of the motion, vote or final Board action.
You need the school calendar
Use the Board-approved 2026–27 calendar article instead of an image copied to a third-party calendar website.
You cannot complete returning registration
Confirm the adult is listed as the primary household in Campus Parent and use a supported browser.
You need a bus route
Complete the current transportation questionnaire/Register 2 Ride process and check the live Bus Status page.
You searched “Paducah schools”
First determine whether the student belongs to McCracken County Public Schools or the separate Paducah Independent district.
McCracken County Schools links to keep handy
Families & operations
McCracken County Board of Education FAQs
Where is the McCracken County Board of Education office?
The district’s current office is at 300 Cumberland Avenue, Paducah, KY 42001.
What is the McCracken County Schools phone number?
The main district number is 270-538-4000.
Who is the McCracken County superintendent?
The current district staff directory lists Josh Hunt as Superintendent.
Who is the McCracken County Board Chair in 2026?
Official January 2026 minutes record Kelly Walker as Chair and Tyler Parker as Vice-Chair.
Who are the McCracken County Board members?
The 2026 Board consists of Kelly Walker, Tyler Parker, Crystal Culp, Sheila Cruse Johnston and Steve Shelby.
Is there a McCracken County Board meeting in October 2026?
The district posted an “October 2026 – Board of Education Special Meeting” notice on September 29. Check that current district notice for the exact date, time and agenda before attending.
Where can I find the 2026–27 McCracken County school calendar?
Use the official Board-approved 2026–27 District Calendar article on mccracken.kyschools.us.
How do returning students register?
Returning families complete online registration through Campus Parent. The adult completing registration should be listed as the primary household.
What is the Kindergarten age cutoff for 2026–27?
MCPS said incoming Kindergarten students should be five years old on or before August 1 for the 2026–27 school year.
Do students have to register for transportation?
For 2026–27 the district told families to complete the student transportation questionnaire even when a child would not normally ride a bus. Students who ride must be assigned to a route.
What is the McCracken County Transportation phone number?
The district has published 270-538-4002 for Register 2 Ride assistance. The current Transportation Director is Chris Gossum.
How many schools are in McCracken County Public Schools?
The district describes MCPS as an 11-school system serving nearly 7,000 students, with additional Open Campus and preschool resources.
Is McCracken County Schools the same as Paducah Independent Schools?
No. They are separate Kentucky public school systems with different Boards, attendance areas and enrollment processes.
Where can I find McCracken County school jobs?
Use the district’s SchoolSpring employment site for current certified, classified and operations vacancies.
Is BoardofEducations.org the official McCracken County school website?
No. BoardofEducations.org is an independent information guide. The official district website is mccracken.kyschools.us.
McCracken County school verification checklist
Independent information guide: BoardofEducations.org is not McCracken County Public Schools, the McCracken County Board of Education, Paducah Independent Schools or the Kentucky Department of Education. Current MCPS notices, agendas, policies, calendars and registration instructions take priority.