Louisville school chief vows to tackle $180M deficit without ‘shortchanging our children’

LOUISVILLE — Just three months into the job, Brian Yearwood, the new superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, met a receptive audience at the Louisville Forum where he outlined his plans to improve Kentucky’s largest school system.

During an hour-long luncheon of the nonpartisan public interest group, Yearwood touched on a wide range of issues facing JCPS — a looming budget deficit, charter schools, safety and a controversial proposal to split up the district.

But he returned repeatedly to his primary theme: improving student academic achievement in a district of more than 94,000 students where low performance is of ongoing concern.

His goal?

“To make sure that every child in our district is reading at or above grade level when they graduate from our schools,” Yearwood said to a burst of applause.

He acknowledged the current projected budget shortfall of $180 million is a major concern, blaming it largely on the loss of extra federal funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The one thing we did not plan for is when the funds ended,” he said.

“That’s very serious and we are taking it seriously,” Yearwood added. “I promise we will fix it.”

But the district will address the shortfall by reducing spending in administration and other savings — not by cutting salaries of teachers or instructional aides in the classroom, he said.

“We will not balance the budget by shortchanging our children,” he said. “Our children deserve a safe learning environment, and we will protect that.”

That promise drew applause from Maddie Shepard, president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, who said Yearwood has made that pledge repeatedly.

“He says that every chance he gets in public,” she said.

A survey obtained by Louisville Public Media earlier this year showed Yearwood was not the first choice among teachers and the community to replace outgoing Superintendent Marty Pollio. But Shepard said the teachers’ union has been impressed by Yearwood’s accessibility and willingness to listen.

“We have a very collaborative relationship so far,” Shephard said.

In opening comments, Yearwood introduced himself as a native of Trinidad who left the West Indies island at 17 to further his education in the United States.

“By the way, I am legal,” he said, prompting laughter over the apparent reference to  the recent arrest of the Des Moines, Iowa, school superintendent by immigration officials who said he is not authorized to work in the United States.

“I have papers,” Yearwood added.

Yearwood holds a doctorate, a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in educational studies from Texas Tech University. Most recently, he served as superintendent of Columbia Public Schools in Missouri, where he was credited with overseeing substantial academic improvement.

Among questions he addressed Wednesday at the Louisville Forum:

Splitting up JCPS

Critics including Rep. Jason Nemes, a Louisville Republican, have proposed splitting JCPS into smaller districts.

“What does that mean when you talk about splitting JCPS up?” Yearwood asked. “I believe that under my leadership, we can show them JCPS can be successful without an intervention.”

As for potential legislative action, Yearwood said he has met with Nemes and said the lawmaker “has promised me a grace period for the upcoming session. I appreciate that.”

Audit

“I look forward to that,” Yearwood said of a pending audit of the school system by Republican state Auditor Allison Ball. “I’m sure they’ll find some positives and I’m sure they’ll find some negatives.” An audit, he added, would identify areas to improve.

Charter schools

Whether a charter school law  enacted by the legislature is allowed under Kentucky’s Constitution is currently before the state Supreme Court.

“My hope is that charter schools, if allowed, will be under the same rules and regulations as public schools,” Yearwood said. “In public schools we have to accept all students, have to have certified teachers in the classrooms. If that were to come to fruition, I hope we would all be playing on the same fields.”

Behavior and discipline

Yearwood said JCPS can’t solve such problems by simply expelling students. Rather, it needs to find a way to reach them and help them learn through alternative schools or other means.

“We can’t just put them out,” he said. “We cannot stop a child’s education because of the behavior. We need to keep educating them.”

Moral instruction

Giving students an optional hour each week of public school time for Bible study at an off-campus site is under consideration in school districts across the state after the legislature changed a law earlier this year. An Ohio Christian education group, LifeWise Academy, is organizing across the state. Residents of other districts, including JCPS, have also shown an interest in introducing the program, according to the Courier Journal.

“I’m a man of faith and I believe we need to respect individuals within our schools,” Yearwood said. “We should respect individual beliefs within our schools.”

Student achievement

Yearwood concluded his remarks by returning to his goal of improving student achievement scores, a goal he said he will try to reach by studying data and better understanding where students need improvement.

“That is the plan,” he said.

JCPS Board chairman Corrie Shull, who attended the forum, said he believes Yearwood can handle the many challenges facing him.

“He certainly has a tremendous task,” Shull said. “I think he’s definitely up for the task.”