Board Buzz

We provide this recap of our monthly school board action meetings as part of our commitment to providing timely, clear, and accurate information to students, staff, families, and the community.

You may also review the full agenda.

The board voted 4-1 to approve the district's $867 million tentative budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year and voted 5-0 in favor of next year's salary schedules. "We can't afford not to do it," said Superintendent Demetrus Liggins, noting the urgency to increase staff salaries to market rate.

• See an overview of the budget *
  
• See the salary schedules *

Among the highlights:

• Contracted FCPS employees will receive an average pay raise of 8 percent, with a guaranteed minimum raise of 4 percent;
• Starting teacher salaries will become the highest in the state – at $50,085 for 189 contract days;
• FCPS will spend $10.7 million to hire more teachers and staff to provide direct service to students and pay stipends to school employees who take on additional responsibilities.

"The budget reflects hundreds of hours on the part of staff to reflect the priorities and goals identified by the board," Chair Tyler Murphy said. "It's not only balanced, but it's based on conservative estimates. It includes a historic investment in our staff and in our schools."

The FY24 final, working budget must be finished by the end of September.

* Note: The final, clean versions of the tentative budget and the salary charts will be posted on our Budget & Financial Planning webpage within a few days.

For the final highlight of this school year, we showcased the annual Elementary Art Show at the Lexington Public Library downtown. As a bonus, the second piece of music in the video was “Shine On Me,” performed by the 2023 FCPS Elementary Honors Chorus.

• Watch the arts video

Student Advisory Council wrap-up -- The board heard a year-end recap from a handful of high schoolers who shared a bit of their experience serving on the 28-member Superintendent's Student Advisory Council. They learned how the district operates, saw the range of career options in FCPS, and appreciated the opportunity to offer suggestions in conversation with Superintendent Demetrus Liggins.

• View the student photo gallery

Construction Progress -- Chief Operating Officer Myron Thompson presented this month's construction highlights, including progress on the middle school on Polo Club Boulevard and the combined Career and Technical Education Center on Midland Avenue.

• View the construction updates

Equity Report -- Soraya Matthews, the district's chief of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB), noted the formation of three ad hoc subcommittees of the board's 11-member Equity Council Committee:

• Facility Naming Consideration
• Equity Scorecard Data Review
• Law and Policy Impact

Under action items on the agenda, the school board approved:

• A contract with Hanover Research to conduct the second phase of its review of our Technology Department, including support to schools and use of technology in the classrooms; and
  

• District's monthly finance report.

The board decided that a proposed draft of the district facility naming policy needed further revision; the item will come up for third reading at the board's next planning session.

Among the consent items approved were:

• Employees' pay dates for 2023-24;
• Students' instructional fees;

• A contract with the Lexington Center to host our 2023 graduation ceremonies;
• A contract with Edmentum to provide online access to courses that students will be able to take for initial credit as well as credit recovery;
  
• A contract with CodeHS for an online teaching platform that schools use to support instruction in computer science;
• A contract with PowerSchool for a comprehensive Human Resources information system to improve efficiencies in district operations;
• A contract with Aperture Education to continue using the DESSA social-emotional learning tool to identify and evaluate students’ needs in order to provide appropriate supports and resources;
• A contract with School-Connect to purchase a social-emotional learning curriculum for students in grades 9 through 12;
• A contract with Franklin Covey Client Sales Inc. to provide the Leader in Me curriculum, professional learning, and implementation support at Crawford Middle School; and
• Appointment of board member Marilyn Clark to represent the Fayette County Board of Education on the Blue Grass Community Foundation Advisory Committee for oversight of FCPS endowed funds, residuals, and donations.

One citizen, Catherine Michelle Blair, spoke briefly about the district budget, which was a key item on the night's agenda.

The following citizens addressed the board regarding topics not on the agenda:

• James Woodhead, Michael McKinley, Joseph Manley, Nema Brewer, Sarah Bayerle, Stephanie Adams, and Laura Hartke.

The official minutes from the May 22 action meeting will be posted within the agenda of the next meeting of the Fayette County Board of Education.

The school board's action meetings are livestreamed on the FCPS YouTube channel and the district's Video on Demand service. Meetings are then archived in our YouTube playlist.

• Watch the May 22 video

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