Louisville — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is working through a $188 million budget deficit as it considers school closures and job cuts, even while planning new school construction projects.
The district’s Facilities Local Planning Committee met Monday night to review plans for its 165 schools. Last Friday, the board voted to eliminate and reorganize hundreds of positions as part of broader cost-cutting efforts.
Board members also approved several savings measures, including closing King Elementary School and Zachary Taylor Elementary School at the end of the school year. Liberty High School will move to the Gheens Early Childhood Center.
“We know that if a school is under-enrolled, that it’s going to cost more to operate. It’s not an efficient use of the district report resources. We know if a school is over-enrolled, then we’re probably taxing our resources,” said JCPS Chief Operations Officer Dr. Rob Fulk.
At the same time, the district is investing in five new schools and plans to open a new elementary school within the next four years. Those decisions have prompted questions from taxpayers about how JCPS can build new facilities while facing a multi-million dollar shortfall.
District leaders explained that the general fund is experiencing the deficit, while construction projects draw from a separate capital fund that is not affected by the current cuts.
“The general fund can go into the capital fund, which the district can – and JCPS has in the past – increase the bonding capacity by using general fund money. But capital funds cannot go to the general fund,” Fulk said.
Of the district’s 165 schools, 105 are at least 50 years old. Most were built between 1940 and 1961 in west Louisville, where enrollment was once higher.
Since 2016, student populations have shifted toward the southeastern part of the county.
“We built 101 schools in one section of the city, and we have seen kids move to other sections of the city,” Fulk said. “We need schools in places students are – not necessarily where we have had them traditionally. And that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to close a bunch of schools.”
JCPS also remains committed to building, renovating, or rebuilding 25 schools within a 10-year period.
“What we do is we make sure that we are looking at a scientific way that the district resources are being used correctly when we want to be able to arm the Board of Education, the superintendent, and our stakeholders with information that they can use to make informed decisions,” Fulk said. “Obviously, we want a neighborhood school that makes sense where it’s at, where we can lower transportation costs, lower the efficiency cost of the building. So, we know that we then need to build buildings that are closer to where our students are living.”
The facilities committee is reviewing the district’s Facility Profile Index, which identifies schools needing urgent attention based on building condition, operating costs, and enrollment. Members will use that data to develop a District Facility Plan. The plan will outline projects targeted for funding before going to the JCPS board and the Kentucky Department of Education for approval.
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