JCPS spends part of $20M donation on billboard thanking outgoing superintendent

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A billboard honoring outgoing JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio didn’t come from the school district’s marketing budget — it was paid for using part of a multimillion-dollar donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

The billboard, which stood along Interstate 65 South near Hospital Curve last month, thanked Pollio for “record graduation rates, the Academies of Louisville, and school choice for all.” It remained up for about a month, costing nearly $7,000.

That expense was covered using money from a $20 million donation Scott made to Jefferson County Public Schools in 2022. At the time, Pollio said the gift would help close funding gaps in high-poverty schools.

“Our goal is to make sure that the 11 elementary schools have the same supplementary funding that Norton Commons, or Stoeffer Elementary, or Hite Elementary have. That is our goal through this work right now,” Pollio said in a previous interview.

According to a JCPS spokesperson, Pollio placed the donation into an account managed by the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation, a nonprofit that supports district initiatives. JCPS leaders can request money from that fund, but approvals must come from the superintendent or the district’s CFO.

It remains unclear who specifically requested the billboard purchase, but JCPS confirmed it was approved by the district’s finance department. When asked why the billboard wasn't paid for with existing marketing dollars, the district's only response was: “No tax dollars were used.”

Still, the decision raised concerns among some school board members.

“This was probably a learning lesson — legally it was okay, but from the perspective of how it looks to the public, it’s a learning lesson for the district,” said District 7 JCPS School Board Member Taylor Everett.

“When you look at a budget shortfall and a time where every dollar should be spent wisely, this is probably not one of the best things to do,” Everett added.

When WDRB pressed JCPS on how the billboard aligned with Pollio’s original commitment to use the donation to support high-poverty schools, a spokesperson said more than $2.9 million of the gift has gone directly to schools.

Everett also asked the district’s legal team to review other purchases from the donation. He said they found no other questionable expenses. This story was initially reported by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.

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