January 20, 2026 – The Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) unanimously voted to accept the 2026-27 Draft Budget on Tuesday night. This early stage in the budget process includes about $142 million in potential reductions to offset the District’s ongoing deficit.
Early in the meeting, Vice Chairman James Craig made a motion to change the proposed Draft Budget, requesting the District continue to fund Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) in schools and instead remove District-level funding for Academic Instructional Coaches (AIC). Board Member Taylor Everett questioned why the change should be made and why the Board wouldn’t recommend schools have autonomy for both decisions. Chair Corrie Shull referred to a statewide goal (KRS 158.4416) to have an MHP in every school. The Board voted 5 to 2 in favor of Craigs’ motion.
Principals, MHPs, safety administrators, bookkeepers and other community members addressed the Board, sharing feedback on the proposed Draft Budget.
The Draft Budget, as officially received by the Board, includes the following reductions:
$44 million from central office. This includes eliminating about 300 positions and a reorganization of District departments and leadership.
$41 million from school budget funds that are not directly tied to student instruction.
$30 million from ongoing union negotiations. This number will likely change as negotiations proceed.
$13 million from Operations and Transportation.
$9 million from contracts and subscriptions
$5 million from facilities and underutilized assets.
Additionally, the Board approved a reorganization of the Superintendent’s Cabinet, reducing the total number of Chiefs from 13 to 7. This includes eliminating the positions of the Chief Information Officer, Chief of Human Resources, Chief Communications and Community Relations Officer, Chief of Schools, Chief Finance Officer, Chief of Accountability, Research and Systems Improvement, Chief of Staff and Chief of Exceptional Child Education. It also includes the new positions of Chief Business Officer, Executive Officer of Communications and Community Relations, Chief of Strategy & Innovation, Executive Officer of Student Support & Community Engagement and Executive Officer of Accountability, Research and Systems Improvement. The Chief Equity Officer role will be renamed to the Chief Opportunity & Access Officer. Additionally, the Assistant Secretary to the Board will report to the Special Assistant to the Superintendent. Additional positions in areas like finance, information and ECE will be created and report to new and existing Chiefs.
Next, JCPS leadership will work to apply feedback from Board members, schools and the community as they work toward a Tentative Budget, which JCPS will bring to the Board in May.
The Board also approved the closures of King Elementary and Zachary Taylor. The district has outlined a transition plan for affected students, focused on prioritized choice and localized school options. Families from both schools will receive priority status in the school choice process. To assist with the transition, JCPS has committed to:
School Choice: King and Zachary Taylor families will be prioritized. Families will have the opportunity to join in-person and virtual School Choice support events, with translation support. JCPS will provide technology access for application completion. Families can also receive a step-by-step application guide and school-specific FAQs.
Magnet Options: King and Zachary Taylor applications will be prioritized, contingent on capacity. Transportation services are not guaranteed for Magnet School placements who are not receiving ECE services.
ECE Support: Cross-check placement options will be provided against required services. Students will receive support, coordinate with relevant offices to ensure continuity.
Monitoring: JCPS will implement a comprehensive system-level progress monitoring process that clearly identifies affected students and empowers school leaders to track their outcomes.
Transition Committee: A transition committee will be formed for each school, comprised of principals, teachers, staff, parents and community members.
Families at King and Zachary Taylor may submit transfer applications now or apply to magnet schools. Magnet applications will be prioritized and dependent on seat availability.
King families will have the following options:
Magnet Schools: Brandeis, Brown, Coleridge-Taylor, Hawthorne, Lincoln and the Traditional Magnet.
Close to Home: Kennedy and Maupin.
Far Away Options (address-based): Doss Zone, Fairdale Zone, Iroquois Zone, PRP Zone and Valley Zone
Zachary Taylor families will have the following options:
Magent Schools: Brandeis, Brown, Coleridge-Taylor, Hawthorne, Lincoln and the Traditional Magnet.
Ballard Elementary Zone: Chancey, Dunn, Norton Commons, Norton, Portland and Wilder.
The JCBE Meeting on January 20, 2026 is available to view on YouTube.
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