LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Jefferson County Public Schools uses a Facility Profile Index, or FPI, to help leaders decide how to allocate limited resources. The district says the index is not a final judgment on any school.
The same list informed JCPS decisions last year to relocate King Elementary and close Zachary Taylor Elementary.
"Our Facility Profile Index informed the majority of these decisions," Superintendent Brian Yearwood said in November 2025.
How the index works
The index ranks schools using factors including operating costs, building condition and enrollment trends — elements JCPS says affect district efficiency.
"It was a way to track the return on the investment in our facilities," Yearwood said.
This year's five highest-ranked schools
Western High School again holds the worst score on the list. JCPS data shows it costs more than $44,000 per student to operate — more than double the district's average cost for a high school. In the past, JCPS has said Western recently became a magnet program and needs more time to grow enrollment.
Waller-Williams Environmental, an alternative school serving students with disabilities, ranks second — costing more than $125,000 per student. After last year's FPI, JCPS said it planned to relocate that program into an existing building in Fairdale.
Maupin Elementary ranks third. The building, which King Elementary moved into, is listed as "critical" in all three index categories.
McFerran Preparatory Academy ranks fourth — up one spot from last year — and is operating at less than half of optimal capacity.
Newburg Middle ranks fifth — up six spots from last year — and is also listed as "critical" in all three categories.
What the rankings could mean
The FPI document notes schools near the top could see changes, including recommendations to build new facilities, merge schools or close them altogether.
Yearwood said in April 2026 that more changes are likely ahead.
"We have to make sure we are rightsizing our schools," Yearwood said.
WDRB sent several questions to JCPS. The district's communications department said it has a new policy under which response times could take 24 to 48 business hours, as the district works to fill an additional communications position.
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