Scott County school board makes cuts to pre-K program in effort to save money

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In a heated meeting Tuesday evening, the Scott County School District 2 board made some changes to its pre-K program.

The school district was recently in the spotlight for mismanagement of taxpayer dollars, so the board is making changes to save money.

Now, there will be five classrooms serving up to 100 3- and 4-year-olds.

Superintendent Dr. Marc Slaton said that means about 50-60 children won't be able to get in. And, he said, the change also means people will lose their jobs.

"We thought it was grant-funded, it's not. It's just not ... I have 48 pre-K staff that are full-time with benefits. We cannot sustain that. We're $1.3 plus million in the hole annually," Slaton said. "In any business, your cost savings when you have a crisis falls on the administration. That's where your highest salaries are. That's where you make your cuts."

Pre-K tuition will now cost $30 a day, or $5,400 each year.

This comes after the district fired its chief financial officer in March amid accusations he mismanaged district funds.

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