JCPS sees surge in students with disabilities and multilingual learners

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Jefferson County Public Schools is facing a major increase in students with disabilities and students whose first language isn’t English — and the district says meeting those needs is coming with a higher cost.

There are more than 1,000 additional students in JCPS’s Exceptional Child Education (ECE) program this year compared to 2020.

The program serves students with educational disabilities, and during that same time, the number of JCPS students diagnosed with autism has risen by 80%. Educating students who need intensive support can cost two to five times more per student, according to district officials.

"We’re just having an influx in students, so we need the resources," said Kim Chevalier, the district’s chief of Exceptional Child Education.

The district has also seen a 125% increase in multilingual learners — students whose first language isn’t English — since 2017. While many are immigrants, 41% were born in the United States.

These students now make up more than 20% of JCPS’s total population, it's over 11,000 students.

To keep up with the demand, JCPS has hired more than 200 English language development teachers since 2021, at a cost of roughly $17 million.

"It costs a lot more to get them there — that is a righteous investment," one district official said.

The information was presented to JCPS’s Revenue Advisory Task Force, which is responsible for recommending a tax rate for the district’s 2026–2027 budget.

Board member James Craig said while JCPS doesn’t plan to raise taxes to address the shortfall, he believes a tax increase should remain an option for other investments such as improving buildings or raising teacher pay.

"They are worthwhile investments, and they have to happen if we expect the results from JCPS that we want," Craig said.

Task force member and JCPS parent Taylor Usellis said based on the information so far, she would not support raising taxes.

"I would say we wouldn’t raise taxes based on the information we’ve gotten so far," Usellis said.

She added that some of her questions about the district’s budget have not been fully answered.

"There have been times that I’ve felt like JCPS is being a little defensive about ideas or questions in general," she said.

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