LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDBR) -- For the seventh and final time, JCPS superintendent Marty Pollio delivered his final State of the District to a room full of students and supporters.

On Wednesday, Pollio reflected on his nearly three decades with JCPS, specifically the past seven as superintendent, noting accomplishments and challenges.

Last September, Pollio announced his retirement. His last day will be July 1, 2025. 

Pollio began his speech with praise for JCPS, and dismissed claims that it is a failing school system.

"We have many critics out there that we invite often to say, come to our school, come inside the school, see what's happening with our educators and our students, and then tell me afterwards, if you feel the same way," Pollio said. "We never, hardly ever get taken up on that offer to visit our schools."

In his seven years as superintendent, Pollio acknowledged challenges the district face, including a global pandemic forcing schools across the country to close, and growing needs of students in Louisville.

"We now have almost one in four students who are multilingual learners, and I want to say absolutely, contribute to the fabric of our schools and love every minute with our multilingual learners," Pollio said. "But clearly that's an additional challenge for teachers in schools to meet the needs of students who are trying to learn the English language while learning content at the same time."

Pollio also took time to address his concerns with the future of public education, including staffing shortages and decisions made by state and federal lawmakers.

"Probably the most controversial issue right now, that is affecting public education that I think gets more intense every single day. Our state legislators and our federal government are attacking the work of racial equity every single day, and it's something that we have focused on in this district for the past eight years," Pollio said.

The superintendent said the district has made it a priority to fund its neediest schools, and by doing so, it has contributed to narrowing the achievement gap between groups of students. Pollio said funding models to support its students in higher-poverty areas are at risk of being eliminated.

"As a community, we have to continue to do that work, but if we don't have the opportunity to do this work, then we all have to acknowledge we can't hold schools accountable or districts accountable for the achievement gap," Pollio said.

On the topic of funding, Pollio also acknowledged that will be critical to help secure a strong workforce in the future. Pollio said recruiting more bus drivers and teachers will continue to be a challenge over the next few years, especially as fewer college students pursue a career in education.

Pollio proposed a tax revenue increase sometime in the future may be necessary.

"Our Board of Education and this community is going to have to get behind another revenue increase to fully support staff pay when it comes to teacher pay, bus driver pay, and all of our educator pay if we want to be the district that is fully staffed 10 years from now, while others are struggling with increased class size and reduction in cuts to student services," Pollio said. 

In his final moments, Pollio asked the community to continue to support JCPS, especially its next leader.

The Board of Education plans to have a slate of candidates by April, and offer the position to a finalist in May. 

"As you can see, we've done immense work over the past eight years, although sometimes, as I said before, we can be vilified locally, and I can as well, but however, I'll say this again nationally, we are seen as a model school district in so many ways," Pollio said. "I just hope that this community gets behind, once again, the next superintendent. Gets behind the changes we have made, and ensures that these changes do not the erode."

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