No student is allowed to leave without a parent or guardian's permission and the student must be signed out of the office. Keys High School and Elementary are closed campuses; therefore, students are required to eat at school or bring their lunch, unless the student’s parent or authorized person physically comes into the school office to sign the student out.

At the high school, lunch times are 11:30 AM to 12:25 PM and the student must be signed out in person by a parent/legal guardian or a person designated by the parent/legal guardian. If a student is leaving for the day, no sign-out is required.

No call-ins are allowed during the lunch period. Parents, please check your child out only when an emergency warrants.

Keys Public Schools is aware of a concerning social media post associated with the nationwide “Cat in the Hat” online trend in which Keys Public Schools is specifically named.

District administration has been in direct communication with our SRO and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, and the matter is being taken seriously and actively reviewed. Extra patrols and police presence will be implemented and we will continue working closely with law enforcement and following all recommended safety precautions.

At this time, we ask students, families, and community members not to repost or share the threatening content. Doing so can spread fear, interfere with the investigation, and give additional attention to those responsible. Parents are encouraged to speak with their children about the serious consequences of creating, sharing, or participating in threatening online content—even when intended as a prank.

The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority. We will provide verified updates if additional information becomes available or if there is any change to normal school operations.