JCPS superintendent says 'nothing was clear' about budget deficit when he took office

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Jefferson County Public Schools moves forward with a draft budget that includes $142 million in proposed cuts, Superintendent Brian Yearwood said he didn't fully understand the scope of the district's financial crisis until September — months after stepping into the role — and maintains the most important focus now is accurately identifying the deficit rather than retracing what led to it.

On Friday, WDRB sat down for an interview with Yearwood for the first time since the budget crisis and subsequent cuts were announced.

The Jefferson County Board of Education voted this week to accept the 2026–27 draft budget, which aims to address a projected $188 million shortfall. The vote came during Tuesday night's board meeting, marking the first public debate over the proposed reductions less than a week after Yearwood unveiled the initial plan.

That plan was revised Friday after pushback from principals, shifting proposed cuts from instructional coaches to mental health practitioners. Following protests at the start of Tuesday's meeting, Vice Chairman James Craig filed a motion to restore funding for mental health practitioners and return to the original proposal cutting district funding for instructional coach positions, leaving it to principals to decide whether to fund those roles at the school level. The board approved that motion in a 5–2 vote, reversing the superintendent's revised plan.

Altogether, the accepted draft budget outlines about $142 million in cuts.

When the deficit became clear

On Friday, Yearwood disputed the idea he and former Superintendent Marty Pollio used "different math" to calculate the size of the deficit.

"I didn't have different math to Dr. Pollio because I don't know what his math was," Yearwood said. "To be honest, I did not know what the math was. Sept. 16 was the day that we all realized what the math truly is."

Yearwood said the seriousness of the situation became clear during a presentation to district leaders, when officials warned that, without selling assets, the district could struggle to afford payroll.

"I had heard bits and pieces before then," he said.

When asked whether it concerned him the magnitude of the crisis appeared to be explained publicly before being fully briefed to him, Yearwood said he supported informing the board once the information was brought to his attention.

"I didn't find out at the board meeting," he said. "I want to clarify that. Because prior to the board meeting, when it was brought to me, I actually was one that encouraged that we talked to our board about this and informed them about what was happening."

Yearwood acknowledged the financial information he received was inconsistent during his first months in office.

"I was hearing various numbers, and nothing was clear," he said.

Classroom impact and staffing concerns

Yearwood has said he doesn't expect the proposed cuts to negatively impact classrooms, even as principals warn of staff reductions. He defined classroom impact as preserving core instruction.

"Ensuring that all classroom systems remain in place is high integrity," Yearwood said. "So as we look at teachers that teach our core classes — reading, math, the things that schools are built around — maintaining that."

Several middle school principals said they expect to lose anywhere from one to seven teachers under the proposed cuts.

"Schools have budgets and they have allocations," Yearwood said Friday. "But we really have to look at what can we truly afford."

When pressed on whether fewer adults in buildings would affect students, Yearwood acknowledged the concern but framed the changes as a restructuring.

"To say that they're negatively impacting, I would say we are realigning to strengthen the things that we're doing while, at the same time, having a sustainable approach," he said.

Safety administrators and school closures

The draft budget includes $41 million in reductions from school budget funds JCPS says are "not directly tied to instruction," including the elimination of many safety administrator positions. When asked whether he is concerned about schools operating without dedicated security staff at all times, Yearwood pointed to existing systems.

"The protocols that are in place and the processes — weapons detection systems, just the overall structure of safety within the schools — I see that as being able to continue," he said, adding that other individuals would still be involved in safety operations.

The plan also makes the closures of King and Zachary Taylor elementary schools official — a decision that drew strong opposition from parents and staff during public comment.

Asked about the timing of closing Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Yearwood said the decision was difficult but necessary.

"Losing any school is heartbreaking," he said. "That's one of my toughest decisions, to close a school. But we have a responsibility to our taxpayers."

JCPS said families at both schools will receive priority status in the school choice process. Applications to magnet programs will also be prioritized, contingent on capacity, and transition committees made up of principals, teachers, staff, parents and community members will assist families.

Families can begin submitting transfer or magnet applications now.

Students from King Elementary can apply to magnet programs at Brandeis, Brown, Coleridge-Taylor, Hawthorne, Lincoln and the Traditional Magnet. Nearby schools include Kennedy and Maupin, with additional address-based options in the Doss, Fairdale, Iroquois, PRP and Valley zones.

Zachary Taylor families can apply to the same magnet programs and are zoned for Ballard Elementary schools, including Chancey, Dunn, Norton Commons, Norton, Portland and Wilder.

The $90 million gap

Yearwood was questioned about the roughly $90 million difference between earlier projections discussed under Pollio and the $132 million figure now cited.

"I'm not sure what Dr. Pollio said about the 90," Yearwood said. "All I know is that we had $132 million."

Yearwood said his financial team — the same staff that served under Pollio — determined the current figure.

"For me, I wanted to make sure that, No. 1, we are 100% accurate," he said.

Asked directly whether the $90 million difference has been accounted for, Yearwood said he couldn't explain how the jump occurred but said he understood why the district is in deficit.

"I can tell you where the money was spent — on some great initiatives like weapons detection," he said.

When asked whether identifying how the deficit grew was important to prevent future crises, Yearwood said his priority was defining the total shortfall.

"What's most important is understanding exactly what your deficit is," he said.

There is a retrospective audit of the districts finances that is currently ongoing.

Central office and pay cuts

The draft budget includes $44 million in central office reductions, eliminating roughly 300 positions through department reorganizations.

Yearwood said deeper cuts were considered but constrained by time.

"The runway was a lot shorter for me," he said. "We wanted to make sure that, as we were making these cuts, it wasn't destroying divisions that I needed to support our schools."

He also confirmed salary reductions for top district earners, including himself, were considered but ultimately rejected.

"Yes, we did consider that," Yearwood said. "That was taken off the table because of the impact that it would have had on certain employee groups."

Yearwood said he spoke with Pollio briefly after taking office but not since.

"Since taking office? Yes, at the beginning we spoke," he said. "But after that, no."

Breakdown of proposed cuts

The $142 million in proposed reductions include:

$44 million from Central Office, including the elimination of roughly 300 positions
$41 million from school budget funds not directly tied to instruction, including many safety administrator positions
$30 million tied to ongoing union negotiations, including teachers' cost-of-living allowances
$13 million from Operations and Transportation
$9 million from contracts and subscriptions
$5 million from facilities and underutilized assets

JCPS estimates about 80% of the cuts would come from central office positions, supplemental programs and changes tied to union contracts.

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