JCPS parents have three big things to watch this week.
The Jefferson County Board of Education meets Tuesday with district finances front and center, including a proposed $100 million short term borrowing, an updated working budget, turnaround plans for 25 schools, new employee social media rules and several major construction projects. Students are out of school Wednesday for Family Teacher Conferences. Then on Thursday, Louisville Metro Council is expected to take up $100,000 for lighting improvements at JCPS bus stops.
And one date just beyond this week's calendar deserves attention now: fall break begins Monday, September 28, so families needing childcare, appointments or other arrangements should have those plans in place before this weekend ends.
JCPS Board and District Administration
Tuesday's Board meeting has a lot for parents to watch
The Jefferson County Board of Education has two meetings scheduled Tuesday, September 22, at the VanHoose Education Center, 3332 Newburg Road.
A special meeting begins at 5 p.m. Eastern and is scheduled to move into closed executive session for discussion of pending or proposed litigation. The agenda allows for possible action after the Board returns to open session. Members of the public may attend the open portions or watch online.
The regular business meeting begins at 6 p.m. Eastern in Stewart Auditorium. Parents may attend in person or watch the livestream, and JCPS says Board meetings are archived afterward on its YouTube channel.
September 22 Board agenda and meeting materials
JCBE livestream and meeting archive
The regular meeting agenda includes a speaking period for people requesting to address the Board on action items or consent items separated for an individual vote. The posted rules give each speaker three minutes. The current agenda does not provide a separate speaker registration deadline, so families planning to speak should check the meeting information again before Tuesday.
1. JCPS could approve $100 million in short term borrowing
One of the most important financial items is a recommendation to approve $100 million in Revenue Anticipation Notes.
In plain English, this is short term borrowing intended to help the district pay current expenses while waiting for revenue to arrive. The proposed resolution would award the notes to Truist Commercial Equity at a fixed annual rate of 3.240 percent. The money could be used for current expenses in the General Fund, Food Service Fund, Building Fund and Capital Outlay Fund.
That borrowing comes alongside the district's latest financial recovery and working budget presentations.
The working budget presentation shows a $132.3 million difference between revenues without fund balance and expenses without contingency. JCPS calculates an adjusted deficit of about $51.5 million after removing approximately $80.8 million in nonrecurring expenses, including carry forward expenses, school and operations carryover, and $34 million in one time employee stipends.
Those figures are not the same thing as the $100 million borrowing proposal. They are different pieces of the district's financial picture.
Why parents should care: Tuesday should provide a clearer look at how JCPS expects to manage cash through the school year, how much of the current budget gap is ongoing rather than one time, and whether additional reductions may be necessary.
One important distinction: the agenda lists the financial recovery plan and working budget as updates for the Board to receive. The Revenue Anticipation Notes are separately listed as a recommendation for Board approval.
2. Turnaround plans for 25 JCPS schools are up for approval
The Board is also being asked to approve turnaround plans for 25 Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools, commonly called CSI schools.
The schools listed in the Board packet are Atkinson Academy, Blake Elementary, Byck Elementary, Cane Run Elementary, Cochran Elementary, Conway Middle, Crums Lane Elementary, Doss High, Fairdale High, Greenwood Elementary, Hartstern Elementary, Hudson Middle, Indian Trail Elementary, Johnson Traditional Middle, Kerrick Elementary, Knight Middle, Marion C. Moore School, Olmsted Academy South, Rangeland Elementary, Rutherford Elementary, Semple Elementary, Shacklette Elementary, Shelby Academy, The Academy at Shawnee and Trunnell Elementary.
According to the agenda, the plans identify interventions, people involved in the turnaround effort and resources intended to address needs found through school reviews.
Why parents should care: Families at one of these schools have a direct reason to follow this vote. These are not simply school improvement labels. The plans are intended to guide the work schools will undertake in response to their CSI status.
As of publication, these plans are recommended for approval, not yet approved.
3. School resource officers and employee social media rules move to the full Board
Last week's Board Policy Committee discussion now moves to the full Board.
The Board is scheduled to receive a first reading of policies covering School Resource Officers and social media use by certified and classified employees. That means these policies are moving through the approval process, but Tuesday's first reading should not be described as final adoption.
The proposed employee social media policy says employees could face discipline, including termination, for social media activity that materially and substantially disrupts the school environment or violates state or federal law. It also prohibits posting personally identifying student information on personal accounts and requires district affiliated accounts to remain accessible to at least two JCPS administrators.
The School Resource Officer draft continues to state that SROs are not responsible for administering ordinary school discipline. One notable redlined change removes existing language saying an SRO's primary domain of activity is outside the school building except when called inside for an incident or emergency.
Parents following school safety and student discipline may want to watch how Board members discuss that language.
A separate superintendent evaluation policy is scheduled for possible approval Tuesday with the first reading waived because JCPS says the framework will be used during the 2026 to 2027 school year.
4. Cochrane, McFerran and five high school stadiums are on the construction list
Families at several schools should also pay attention to the facilities portion of the consent calendar.
JCPS is proposing a new Cochrane Elementary building on the existing school site, followed by demolition of the current building. The estimated project cost is about $38.5 million.
McFerran Preparatory Academy has a proposed $19.9 million Phase I renovation covering its HVAC system, electrical switchgear, part of the roof, security, fire alarm system, ceilings and lights.
Stadium renovation contracts and revised project budgets are also scheduled for Atherton, Butler Traditional, Eastern, Fairdale and Southern high schools. The projects include combinations of synthetic turf, tracks, scoreboards, bleachers, concessions and restroom improvements.
Again, these are Tuesday agenda recommendations. They should not be described as approved until the Board votes.
What Parents Should Watch This Week
Bus stop lighting could move forward Thursday
There was movement last week on an issue that directly affects students waiting for buses before sunrise.
Louisville Metro Council's Budget Committee approved a proposal Thursday to redirect $100,000 toward purchasing and installing lighting at JCPS bus stops. The money had originally been set aside for studying bus stop lighting, but JCPS completed the assessment internally.
JCPS evaluated roughly 7,000 bus stops and identified 1,736 without lighting. Of those, 715 are within 150 feet of an existing streetlight. Louisville Gas and Electric is evaluating hundreds of the remaining locations for possible lighting improvements.
The funding still requires approval from the full Metro Council. Spectrum News reports that vote is expected at the Council's Thursday, September 24 meeting, and Louisville Metro lists its next regular Council meeting for 6 p.m. Eastern that evening.
There is an important timing issue here. Louisville Metro says final Council agendas are generally posted 24 hours before the meeting. That means families should treat Thursday as the expected vote date until the final agenda confirms the item.
Why parents should care: Approval would move the project from studying dark bus stops toward actually purchasing and installing lighting. It would not mean every identified stop receives a light immediately.
Important JCPS Dates and Deadlines
Wednesday, September 23: No school for students
Wednesday is Family Teacher Conference Day, and JCPS students do not have classes.
Conference arrangements can vary by school, so parents should check their school's message, calendar or teacher communication rather than assuming one districtwide conference schedule. Southern High, for example, has already posted its own September 23 conference hours.
For families who normally depend on the school day for childcare, Wednesday is the date to solve before Monday morning.
Coming Up Next
Fall break starts September 28
The next school week is not a normal school week.
JCPS fall break runs Monday, September 28 through Friday, October 2. Combined with the weekends on each side, students will have nine consecutive calendar days away from class.
Parents who need childcare, medication refills, appointments or other arrangements should handle those this week rather than waiting until Friday afternoon.
Family Weekend
For families looking for something to do Saturday, there are several very different options around Louisville.
Louisville Zoo September Birthday Bash: Saturday, September 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Zoo is highlighting animals with September birthdays with activities that may include keeper talks and special animal enrichment.
Map and Compass Basics at Jefferson Memorial Forest: Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The hands on outdoor navigation class is designed for ages 12 and older and costs $15 per person.
Batman Bash at the Shawnee Library: Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at 3912 West Broadway. The Louisville Free Public Library lists the program for school age children and teens.
Asian Night Market at Fourth Street Live: Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. Fourth Street Live confirms the September 26 date, and JCPS Insider's updated fall festival guide lists the Asian Night Market among Louisville's free fall events.
Before Monday
Parents have a fairly short checklist this week:
Confirm your school's Family Teacher Conference schedule and make a plan for Wednesday's student day off.
Put Tuesday's 6 p.m. Board meeting on your radar if your family is affected by one of the CSI turnaround plans, construction projects or policy changes.
If your child waits at a poorly lit bus stop, watch Thursday's Metro Council action on the proposed lighting funding.
Remember that students begin fall break Monday, September 28.
Did We Miss Something?
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JCPS Insider is an independent parent resource and is not affiliated with Jefferson County Public Schools.