The Kentucky Senate education committee passed a bill Thursday that would shift authority from the elected Jefferson County Board of Education to the district’s recently appointed superintendent.
Senate Bill 1 comes just over a month after the state Supreme Court struck down a nearly identical version as unconstitutional.
“This body, this committee, and the Senate and the House passed Senate Bill 1 in 2022 targeting — in a very positive way — the role of the superintendent and the role of the school board in our largest school district here in Kentucky,” said GOP Sen. David Givens of Greensburg, who sponsored the bill.
Givens argued the state’s largest district faces unique challenges that require a governance structure giving the superintendent greater authority over day-to-day operations and limiting board oversight. “Hire the best and put them in charge, and give them the authority to make those decisions,” Givens said.
The bill passed with all Republican committee members voting yes and the two Democrats voting no. Opposition came from JCPS Vice Chair James Craig, Superintendent Brian Yearwood, and Jefferson County Teachers Association President Maddie Shepard.
Yearwood, who would gain authority under the bill, said he already has a collaborative relationship with the board and does not need more power. “It seems that you want to give me more authority, but I’m here to tell you — I shouldn’t have it,” he told the committee. Yearwood added that the bill would not advance JCPS’s goals of improving student outcomes, saying, “This bill is about adults, not students.”
Both the current and previous SB 1 versions require the board to delegate nearly all administrative duties and daily operations to the superintendent, restrict the board from meeting more than once a month (with few exceptions), and require a two-thirds majority to overrule any superintendent policy recommendations.
Craig warned that limiting board oversight would not prevent future crises, pointing to the 2023 transportation issues and current budget challenges. “Less oversight then was the source of that problem,” he said. A 2024 audit of the busing crisis found district staff had underinformed the board and public, and some members argue that past financial challenges resulted from limited transparency from previous administrators.
Givens said Yearwood and Craig’s objections did not sway him, noting that elected school board members still hold ultimate hiring and firing authority over the superintendent, maintaining democratic accountability.
Givens has also filed Senate Bill 114, which would convert Jefferson and Fayette County school boards to appointed bodies. He said the bill is “getting a lot of momentum right now,” though its legislative future is uncertain.
Sen. Aaron Reed, a Republican, expressed concerns about reducing the power of the only elected officials overseeing schools but still voted yes. Democratic Sen. Gerald Neal urged patience, saying lawmakers should allow the new superintendent time to implement change before making major governance shifts.
Meanwhile, a House committee is reviewing a citizen petition to impeach Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwine, the swing vote in the decision that struck down the previous SB 1. The petition alleges a potential conflict of interest related to union contributions to a PAC supporting Goodwine’s election. Shepard defended the contributions, noting teachers have the same rights as other constituents to participate in PACs.
The impeachment committee is scheduled to meet again Thursday, also reviewing three other petitions.
Lawmakers have made education a key focus this session, proposing legislation on superintendent pay, school budgeting transparency, and other reforms affecting public schools statewide.
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