LOUISVILLE, Ky. — New laws passed by Kentucky lawmakers will reduce the size of the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) board and expand the superintendent’s authority, marking a major shift in how the district is governed.
Senate Bill 1 gives Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood greater control over daily operations, shifting decision-making power away from the school board.
Before the legislation passed, Yearwood spoke against it. Now that it is set to become law, he emphasized the need for stability.
“It’s critical we have stability in our district. We’re attempting to have financial stability, it’s very important we have governance stability, as well,” he said.
Senate Bill 4 reduces the school board from seven members to five. All positions will be up for reelection in November under newly drawn district maps.
“Ensuring we have that level of stability at the board level, working with them, and that carries over into the classroom,” Yearwood said.
Board member James Craig urged voters to pay close attention to candidates’ positions on funding and revenue increases.
“Candidates will start declaring in June, ask them where they stand on this position,” Craig said. “If they’re not willing to invest in the future of this district and the wages of the people here to ensure we have the best possible people working here, I don’t think they deserve to sit here at the table. We have to keep talking about that and making it clear we need more revenue to salaries and everything else we want to do.”
Craig said the final outcome of the legislation was better than what could have resulted from the legislative session.
For years, Republican lawmakers in the state have pushed for major changes in the district — changes that are now being implemented.
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