LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Jefferson County Board of Education approved a series of major measures Tuesday night, including the district’s tentative budget, a new teacher contract and the sale of two school properties.

This comes as the board begins transitioning under Senate Bill 4, a new state law that reduces the board from seven members to five and redraws district lines ahead of the 2026 election.

The temporary district assignments were made after board members in overlapping districts drew lots during the meeting.

Here are the new assignments, which will remain in place until the November election:

  • District 1: Tricia Lister
  • District 2: Corrie Shull
  • District 3: James Craig
  • District 4: Trevin Bass
  • District 5: Gail Logan Strange

Members Taylor Everett and Linda Duncan also remain on the board as at-large members.

Tentative budget approval

The board approved the tentative budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

The district projects a budget of nearly $1.8 billion, with $115 million in cuts. This is short of the district's publicly stated $132 million goal.

Interim CFO Dr. Tom Aberli said Tuesday fully eliminating the deficit immediately would have caused more disruption for students. He said the district expects future revenues to gradually reduce the deficit over time and said JCPS still has a positive five-year forecast.

However, projections show the district will continue carrying a deficit next school year of about $82 million in the working budget and is not expected to reach a balanced budget until 2031.

Of the identified budget cuts, $80 million will be applied toward the district’s deficit, meaning those funds will not be spent elsewhere. Another $35.5 million will be invested into what the district calls "unfunded needs."

Those investments include $13 million for facilities improvements, $10 million for salary schedule improvements, $7 million for bus replacements, $2.5 million for teacher Amazon supplies, $2 million for Chromebook replacements and $1 million for an Urban League partnership.

The reductions come from several areas across the district:

  • Districtwide costs: $44 million (38%)
  • Central office and centrally managed positions: Nearly $28 million (24%)
  • School-based flexible allocation reductions: Nearly $25 million (22%)
    • Includes cuts to racial equity funds
  • Central office operations: $12.7 million (11%)
    • Includes costs outside of contracts and payroll
  • Central office contracts: $6 million (5%)

Superintendent Brian Yearwood said he believes the $115 million in cuts will be enough.

"Yes, for us [the cuts] are enough because it allows us to have a forecast or allows us to have trajectory that prevents us from having to make additional cuts, right?" he said. "Now we've made the cuts, we've made the hard decisions, the gut-wrenching decisions and now we move forward with focusing in academics, focusing on our children." 

Other approved measures

The board also approved a new agreement with the Jefferson County Teachers Association extending the union contract through 2028.

The contract does not include a cost-of-living adjustment next year, but instead gives teachers a one-time $2,000 stipend. It also gradually phases out additional pay for teachers at struggling schools such as AIS or Choice Zone schools over four years.

JCTA President Maddie Shepard told the board the agreement was the best deal the union could secure given the district’s financial situation. 

Board member James Craig also asked Aberli whether the district could give teachers the large raises they have seen in previous years. Aberli said no. 

The board also approved letters of intent for the potential sale of two former school properties.

Christ Temple Christian Life Center plans to purchase the former King Elementary School property for $1.02 million and use it for church, educational and community functions. The Tea Spot LLC plans to purchase the Waller-Williams at Riverport property for $945,250.

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