LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Jefferson County Board of Education approved a contentious boundary change for Echo Trail Middle School on Tuesday.
Echo Trail, which opened three years ago to ease overcrowding in eastern Jefferson County, is now facing the same issue. District projections show the school would have been a third over capacity next year without changes.
The new plan will send more than 90 incoming sixth graders who live north of Interstate 64 and west of Valhalla Golf Club to Crosby Middle School, about eight miles away and operating at roughly three-quarters capacity.
Parents and students pleaded with board members to vote no. One parent described the situation as “a culture of incompetence and secrecy,” and another fifth grader told the board, “Echo Trail is the best school that I want and the reason why is there are so many clubs and sports.”
The boundary change first appeared on last month’s agenda. Board members said they learned about the proposal at the same time parents did, prompting them to table the vote. JCPS held community meetings only after parent backlash.
“Only after being caught were we put in listening sessions that were an insult to our intelligence,” parent Adam Smith said. “We were handled, not heard.”
During those meetings, district officials said the plan had been in development for 18 months. That explanation fueled more frustration among families, who said they were kept in the dark.
Parent Brian Recktenwald said he uncovered “a complex lack of due process, clandestine group meetings and noncompliance that is occurring at JCPS central office.”
The boundary proposal initially appeared on this week’s agenda as a consent item — a category typically reserved for routine actions that are not expected to draw opposition.
“Why is the Echo Trail boundary change on the agenda as a consent item rather than an action item? It’s being pulled down; it will be an action item,” Board Chair James Craig said on Nov. 17.
When asked why it was listed under consent, he said, “I don’t think there’s much of a story there. Historically these have happened on consent.”
Parents disagreed, arguing the move reflected a broader breakdown in transparency.
“This is not about Crosby. This is all about transparency. This is all about accountability,” Recktenwald said.
It was about the board holding JCPS administration and central office to compliance — and they failed.”
Several board members acknowledged the process should have been handled better and discussed potentially changing the district’s boundary-change policy.
“You must begin an investigation into how this culture of incompetence and secrecy has been allowed to fail our children," Smith said.
The new boundary takes effect next school year.
Previous Coverage:
JCPS board members say they weren't told of proposed east Louisville boundary change before parents
JCPS data shows which schools in Louisville are most overcrowded
Parents at Echo Trail Middle School accuse JCPS of hiding plan to change boundaries
New JCPS middle school already overcrowded as proposed boundary change sparks pushback
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