LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A bill that would drastically reshape the Jefferson County Board of Education passed the Kentucky legislature this week.
Senate Bill 4 passed both the House and the Senate. The legislation would cut the number of seats on the board for Jefferson County Public Schools from seven to five, which is the same number of seats on other school boards in the state.
Rep. Jason Nemes, a Republican who represents part of Jefferson County, said part of the change is in response to a state supreme court ruling that said JCPS must be treated the same as other districts in Kentucky.
Board member Linda Duncan said the sponsors' priority "obviously" isn't improving student learning.
"These are basically volunteer positions," Duncan said in a written statement Thursday. "If the point is to make the districts so large that board members cannot get to schools to observe the impacts of the board's decisions, then the superintendent can be more free to hide what is working and what isn't. Someone must want that model."
Previous iterations of the bill would have appointed board members — this version keeps them as elected positions. Jefferson County residents will vote on new members in this November's election. The legislation has an emergency clause, meaning all members will have to file for reelection this summer.
Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Jefferson County, spoke out against the bill on the Senate floor, sharing concerns that the district's boundaries are redrawn by the legislators, not an independent group.
Nemes said the districts drawn by lawmakers will only last for the 2026 election, then JCPS will draw its own maps.
"Tonight, the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation that diminishes the representation of Jefferson County residents in matters before the Jefferson County Board of Education," Board Chair Corrie Shull said about the bill. "This is an unfortunate and undemocratic action that effectively makes it more difficult to amplify the diverse voices of our community in the decision-making processes that shape the future of Louisville's children."
Meanwhile, board member Taylor Everett was appreciative that the bill kept the board an elected entity.
"I'm happy that the board is still all elected," Everett said. "I would have been fine with keeping it as is, but this is much better than the other bill that was proposing to make it a fully-appointed board."
The district said it appreciates the hard work of all of its board members, and is "committed to turning around student achievement," adding "we cannot afford any distractions from that mission."
The bill passed the House in a 72-21 vote, and a 25-7 vote in the Senate.
Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
