LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools is facing a $188 million deficit and must decide in the coming weeks where $132 million in cuts will fall.
While the district works toward a January draft budget deadline, major questions remain about how JCPS' finances reached this point — and why estimates changed so dramatically from previous leadership.
In an outgoing interview with WDRB, former Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said he expected the district would need about $40 million in cuts and predicted a “soft landing.” But since then, Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood said that number is $132 million, over $90 million higher.
“I think at the time, Dr. Pollio had the best information that he had,” Yearwood said. “As we do further research, other things sort of started unfolding. As we looked at our budgets and looked at how everything was unfolding, that number changed. And so with our continued research, we came up with a different number.”
WDRB asked Yearwood why the estimate changed so sharply.
“That number changed by $90 million. It's not a few million off. Can you give taxpayers any better idea of where this difference came from?” WDRB asked.
“In my presentations, we talked about the things that money was spent on,” Yearwood said. “We used our ESSER funds to bring in programs. We spent money on curriculum. We spent money on safety, things that made things more safe. So, yes, we spent with students at the heart of what our expenditures were. And I guess the numbers started — I call it — getting bigger and bigger.”
Yearwood has pointed to heavy use of federal COVID-19 relief funding as a factor in the gap. But JCPS financial records show the district spent more than it brought in for nine of the last 10 years, with pandemic money temporarily balancing the budget only once.
When asked whether COVID funds are the main cause or one piece of a larger issue, Yearwood said both may be true.
“No. Part of this was COVID funds,” he said. “We definitely received COVID funds and we overspent and we did not … take into account these funds will end and what happens when the funds end? Because we were so excited about what we were doing for our students. But now we have audits, and we are moving towards making sure that we take care of this deficit once and for all.”
“The district didn't take into account that the COVID money would end,” WDRB asked.
“I'm sure they did,” Yearwood responded. “But again, it wasn't about the COVID money. It was about the programs and the people that were doing such a fantastic job in our district. And I think everyone was just excited about what they had seen and didn’t want it to end. You know, it's like having that great time or things that's happening so well for students, and really and truly, you don't want that to ever possibly end. But the reality is it's here now, and we're taking care of it.”
Pollio previously told WDRB there was a plan to phase out federal relief funding, but Yearwood said there was not a set plan. When asked directly whether a plan existed, he said he did not know.
“Well, I don't know prior to me coming here,” Yearwood said. “But I do know there's a plan going forward.”
“You don't know if there was a plan?” WDRB pressed. “You got to think looking back at all the numbers, you know if there was a plan or not, right?”
“Well, again, I was not here during that time,” he said. “But I can tell you going forward, we do have a plan.”
That plan, according to Yearwood, includes identifying cuts in the central office, evaluating district programs and measuring whether spending yields results.
“Yes, right now we are looking at where cuts can be made at central office, looking at programs that can be made,” he said. “As we expand these funds, we want to be able to show that again, growth and the expectations are there. So again, we're looking at every possible angle to make sure that going forward we take care of our budget deficit.”
WDRB asked again for clarity on how the shortfall formed.
“Yes, We've said it multiple times in our forums. This is where the money went,” Yearwood said. “If you look at the three different forums that we did, we explained that our expenditures were just, you know, student-based. Lots of money on one-to-ones, lots of money going into safety and things like that.”
JCPS must present a draft budget to the school board by Jan. 20, meaning decisions on cuts will likely be public soon.
Click on the video player below to watch WDRB's full interview with Yearwood.
The district is just weeks away from deciding where $132 million in cuts to address the deficit will land.
Related Stories:
JCPS board voted Tuesday to pause plan to close, consolidate several schools
School board plans to pause closure, consolidation of several JCPS schools
Parents plead to keep King Elementary open as JCPS faces financial crisis
'Go to war' | Parents push back as JCPS discusses plan to close or consolidate schools
Full list shows JCPS schools considered for closure, updates
JCPS leaders say school closures will save $4 million out of $132 million in needed cuts
JCPS recommends closing 2 schools, moving others as it faces $188 million budget shortfall
Yearly audit shows JCPS' finances 'strong and stable' despite $188 million budget deficit
JCPS nears $132 million in budget cuts as task force weighs limited tax options
Possible school closures looming as JCPS grapples with $188 million deficit
Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
