Board Buzz

We offer this recap of our school board meetings as part of our commitment to providing timely updates for students, families, staff, and the community.

In Monday night's most significant action, the Fayette County Board of Education approved an $817 million working budget for the 2024-25 school year. "There's no more important investment in our future than in our kids and their education, and we have a budget document that reflects that," said Board Chair Tyler Murphy.

• Overview of the Working Budget
• Draft Working Budget (The final board-approved document is pending KDE approval.)

FCPS Police Chief Martin Schafer and Student Support Chief Dedeeh Newbern lifted up our district's safety measures and mental health supports, made possible by the $107.2 million public investment since 2018. "Fayette County is really leading the way," said Board Chair Tyler Murphy, citing our district as a national model. Schafer also previewed a new online space where families and the community can get summaries of situations impacting our school community. The online safety tracker will be live on our district website by 10 a.m. Tuesday at fcps.net/safety.

• View the School Safety Presentation

Academic Services

Meocha Williams, assistant superintendent of Academic Services, and Bill Bradford, assistant superintendent for School Leadership, shared a progress report on the FCPS Strategic Plan. Bradford walked the board through the goals, accomplishments, and next steps in the different areas.

• View the Strategic Plan Presentation

Unity, Belonging, & Student Efficacy

Soraya Matthews, chief of UBSE, noted the district is offering Spanish classes for employees. She also previewed upcoming opportunities for students, including Stronger Connections in elementaries, mentoring for middle schoolers, and student voice initiatives in the high schools.

• View the UBSE Presentation

Community Partnerships

Kentucky State University, a 2024 Golden Apple Award recipient, was in the spotlight for September as the board heard from Jack Wollman, KSU's coordinator for advising and recruiting for their School of Nursing; and Brandy Ashford, the college and career readiness coach at Bryan Station High School. Not only has KSU's support increased dual credit opportunities for our students, but Kentucky State has also embraced the opportunity to engage families in navigating the complexities of college admission, financial aid, and career planning.

Construction Report

Facilities Manager Kiyon Jenkins shared the latest developments in our current construction projects, including Mary E. Britton Middle School, the Hub for Innovative Learning & Leadership (The HILL), preschool classrooms at Harrison Elementary, and a new building for Rise STEM Academy for Girls.

• View the Construction Report

Fine Arts Director Katherine Lowther and visual art instructional specialist Rachel Losch recapped the Districtwide Visual Art Showcase, featuring over 1,100 pieces displayed in April and May at the Living Arts & Science Center. The art show was the first in FCPS to include all grade levels on a large scale, thanks to dedicated teachers and advocates across our district.

• Skim the Sept. 23 action agenda and PDF attachments or watch the video.
• Read the official minutes, which will be posted within the agenda of the next board meeting

The public is welcome to attend planning sessions and action meetings in person at the John D. Price Administration Building, 450 Park Place. The monthly action meetings are also livestreamed on the FCPS YouTube channel and the district's Video on Demand service. These videos are then archived in a YouTube playlist.

The video series “Murphy’s Minute” features Board Chair Tyler Murphy answering frequently asked questions about the school board’s role and responsibilities, service to the community, advocacy, and decisions that affect our students and schools. Students from several of our secondary schools host the series. The latest episode is below.

• The videos are archived in a YouTube playlist and linked on the school board's main webpage.