LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Brian Yearwood held his State of the District address Friday morning, using a shorter-than-average speech to say he's content with where Louisville schools are headed in the midst of a financial crisis.
Yearwood said every student deserves to reach their full potential, though he acknowledged the district's financial instability makes that difficult.
"Our students did not create this deficit but they will benefit from how we solve it," he said.
Yearwood's speech Friday came as JCPS faces what's projected to be a $188 million shortfall in its 2026-27 budget. In an effort to close the gap, the district is making some painful cuts. The Jefferson County Board of Education recently approved central office job cuts and restructuring.
Yearwood came under fire after leaving the board meeting during which those cuts were approved without talking to the media, exiting through a back door. He addressed his silence last week, calling the board's decision "heartbreaking."
"To make the decisions that we are making, they affect so many lives," he said Feb. 18 ."It's heartbreaking and I don't wish that on any superintendent anywhere. It's tough. It was very tough because of the lives that we are impacting, yes it was very tough."
Additionally, the board voted in January to approve the district's draft budget with about $142 million in proposed cuts across the district. The cuts include funding for instructional coach positions, leaving it up to principals to make funding decisions based on the wants and needs of the school.
The plan also makes the closures of King and Zachary Taylor elementary schools official. The board has until May to finalize the budget proposal.
In Friday's speech, Yearwood said, in his short time in Louisville, one thing is clear, that the city "cares deeply about its public schools."
He cracked a few jokes but said the stakes for this couldn't be higher.
"(There are) 94,000 incredible reasons why we are so determined to get this right," Yearwood said.
To close the gap Yearwood is proposing roughly $132 million in cuts. That includes shaving $44 million from central office spending, $13 million from transportation, and $41 million from programs and supplemental spending. However, union leaders warn those cuts will hit hard.
"Whether it's a teacher that's losing a position or instructional assistant or a bookkeeper, this whole school system is affected," said Maddie Sheppard, president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association.
And Yearwood said more cuts aren't off the table.
"I would love to say that we are done with job cuts. However, we have to make sure that our budget deficit is handled," he said, adding be still believes the district is moving forward.
Yearwood said he’s held more than 60 meetings to gather feedback, working to "build stability" and "create momentum." His goal: make JCPS a "destination school district" where families trust the system and students can thrive.
Several board members said they’re behind both the message and the plan.
"He addressed the elephant in the head-on," board member Taylor Everett said. "I loved it."
"I think that he really gave, not only the people who attended today but the entire city, a window in the possibilities of JCPS," board president Corey Shull added.
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