Hopkins County students are required to attend school in their assigned attendance school zone. Parents may visit www.hopkins.kyschools.us/SchoolZones to determine the school zone to which their address belongs.

Students wanting to attend outside of their assigned school zone may only do so if they are approved through a Special Permission Transfer request during the specified window.

The district will accept Special Permission Transfer requests for schools operating at less than 90% student capacity. Families do not have to submit a new application for special permission students if their student has previously received special permission to attend the same school. A new application will be needed if the student will be transitioning to a new school. Please note that information on attendance, grades and behavior must be attached to the application. Parents may access this information through the Parent Portal. 

Applications may be submitted for the following schools: Browning Springs Middle School, Hanson Elementary School, Hopkins County Central High School, James Madison Middle School, South Hopkins Middle School, and West Hopkins School. 

Based on enrollment, the following schools are closed for special permission: Grapevine Elementary School, Pride Elementary School, Jesse Stuart Elementary School, West Broadway Elementary School, Southside Elementary School and Madisonville North Hopkins High School. 

Applications for schools with availability will only be accepted Feb. 2 through April 1, 2026. The form will be available after 8 a.m. on Feb. 2 on the district website, www.hopkins.kyschools.us. Applications may also be picked up at the Board of Education’s Central Office starting on that date. Completed applications must be mailed or hand delivered to the front desk at the Central Office; applications will not be accepted at the school level or through email.

Requests will be processed in the order received by the Central Office Department of Pupil Personnel, 320 S. Seminary St., Madisonville. Applications will be reviewed by the DPP Office and the requested school on an individual basis. Approval or denial letters will be mailed by May 1. For more information, contact Hopkins County Schools Department of Pupil Personnel at (270) 825-6000.

Our schools are working harder than ever to break down barriers to student success! This Prichard Committee video highlights how this is being accomplished at Southside Elementary School through creativity, connection, and community. Please watch this video to learn how Southside staff serve students beyond the traditional school day!

Amari Bowles, a 4th grader at Hanson Elementary, was selected to make the all-call today for no school on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. She submitted the winning video in the district’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. All-Call Contest. Congratulations to Amari! Please check out her winning entry.

HCS will continue to offer students the chance to participate in future all-calls. Please stay tuned for information on how to enter these contests!

Our HOPCO Cafes went head-to-head in the recent "Scratch the Desserts" competition, with each kitchen staff preparing a dessert completely from scratch. Entries were judged across multiple categories. The level of creativity, skill, and dedication on display was truly impressive!

While we did crown one winner, several standout recipes made such an impression that you may see them featured on upcoming menus. Here is the breakdown on our caption champions for "Scratch the Desserts":

• Top Mouthfeel/Texture (tie) - Browning Springs Middle School

• Color & Creativity, Originality, & Moistness - Pride Elementary School

• Taste, Skill & Technique - Jesse Stuart Elementary School

• Presentation & Neatness, Aroma, Doneness, From Scratch Quality, Mouthfeel/Texture (tie) - West Hopkins School

⭐Best Overall Scratch the Dessert - West Hopkins School - Peanut Butter Bars

We’re so proud of the talent and teamwork across all our kitchens — well done! Please watch the video about the competition below.

In recognition of their service, Hopkins County Board of Education members were presented with gift baskets containing soups and other goodies during Monday’s meeting. We appreciate all our board members! Please join us in thanking board members Shannon Embry, Steve Faulk, Nick Foster, Martha Phelps, and Kerri Scisney. The presentation was in honor of School Board Recognition Month. 

Several HCS schools were honored during the Board of Education meeting on January 12 for fidelity implementing PBIS during 2024-2025!

• Bronze Status - South Hopkins Middle School

• Silver Status - West Hopkins School, Hopkins County Central High School, Hanson Elementary, Madisonville North Hopkins High School, Grapevine Elementary,  Browning Springs Middle School, Southside Elementary, James Madison Middle School, and Jesse Stuart Elementary

• Gold Status - Pride Elementary and West Broadway Elementary.

Congratulations to all!

Students in the Travel and Tourism Marketing class at Hopkins County Career & Technology Center took part in a fun icebreaker that also introduced the subject! Teacher Sonya Shockley created a Passport project, with each student designing a passport with their name, photo, dream destination, and a fun fact about themselves or their destination. Students then “visited” each other and shared their information. Students put their initials on classmates’ passports to serve as stamps! 

Shanda Hughes, coordinator of the Family Resource Youth Services Center at James Madison Middle School, was presented with the Great Futures Award during the Board of Education meeting on January 12. She demonstrates excellence in Student-Centered Impact, Innovation & Creativity, Service & Dedication, and Family & Community Engagement.

She works tirelessly to make sure students receive needed food bags, toiletries, clothes, and more. She never gives up until she figures out how best to help students and their families. She welcomes everyone to her room with a smile, no matter what kind of day she is having. She organized her room to have a calming area for staff and students. She is an active participant in the House system, making sure students have fun and teachers aren’t overloaded. She also provides help and a listening ear to staff members who are having problems outside of work. She does whatever she can to make other people feel better.

The Madisonville North Hopkins HS cheer team was honored by the Board of Education on January 12 for winning the Regional Championship! The team placed 1st in All-Girls Medium at the KHSAA Region 1 competition. They advanced to the KHSAA Competitive Cheer State Championship, where they placed 6th out of 17 teams. 

320 S. Seminary St.

Madisonville, KY 42431