On Tuesday, March 31, the JCPS Board of Education held its monthly meeting to address the academic commitment plan and vote on position cuts.
Superintendent Brian Yearwood honored Diane Porter at the meeting. She is a retired board chair member, and the first African American to serve on the JCPS board. A new preschool, Diane L. Porter Preschool, will open for the 2026-27 school year to honor her legacy.
The board then received the superintendent’s report. In his report, Yearwood said that JCPS is entering a time of reflection and transition. He emphasized the importance of developing consistent education for the 94,000 students within the district.
“At the end of the day, everything comes back to a simple truth. JCPS exists for students, and we will continue doing the hard work necessary to always deliver for them,” Yearwood said.
Academic Commitment Presentation
The Chief Academic Officer, Angela Hosh, presented the JCPS Academic Model. It was structured with three commitments: stabilizing instruction, strengthening systems and advancing learning.
To stabilize instruction, their goals include improving Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) scores and standardizing curricula across the district. The JCPS Diagnostic Review showed how JCPS is rated in the second-lowest category throughout education across the state, and that teaching is not consistent across all schools.
To strengthen systems, their goals include altering communication systems and increasing support for lower-performing schools. The current structure that JCPS utilizes includes overlapping roles, uncoordinated support teams, and uncategorized support. Improving on this system includes clarifying roles, moving from fragmented supports to one aligned academic system, and deploying coaching based on specific school needs.
ECE Cuts
The board approved to cut funding from the Exceptional Child Education (ECE) program. It will reduce the hours of four positions within the ECE department. The positions receiving working day cuts include school psychologists, audiologists, CEIS behavior support specialists and board-certified behavior analysts.
Anna Freeman, addressed the board on this matter, thanking them for their continued support and communication. She’s a JCPS teacher who spoke on behalf of school psychologists and advocated for the passing of the cuts.
“We wanted to take a moment tonight to simply say thank you. Thank you for meeting with us, thank you for responding to emails,” Freeman said. “That level of responsiveness matters.”
Yearwood said that the cuts would save $250,000. Total identified cuts now equal over $100 million, close to the $132 million goal. Following the news of the budget deficit at the start of the year, JCPS has resolved to make more cuts like these.
The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 21 at the Vanhoose Education Center at 6 p.m.
