Tonight, at 6:00 PM in the old high school building, the Woodford County Public Schools will host their monthly school board meeting. The proposed agenda can be found here, but there is a significant issue to highlight for concerned Woodford County students, teachers, and parents. 

It’s no secret that WCPS is currently in a $2 million deficit for its budget. Superintendent  Dr. Lori Jones even mentioned the importance of the district being transparent and “fiscally responsible” in this interview with WKYT. As such, budget cuts are currently being proposed, and some of them center around teaching positions at the high school.

The exact number of teachers being removed from their positions has varied- a rumored 16 spots at the beginning of the year, then 4 positions presented by Dr. Jones at her “road show” to teachers on Tuesday, and within 12 hours, the number had been brought up to 7.5 positions.

Updates in enrollment numbers are a hypothetical reason for this change, but a clear explanation has not been provided by the district. However, Tyler Reed, Principal at WCHS, sent out a Facebook update yesterday with the phrase “School administration did point out a significant concern to potential class sizes for the 26-27 school year with the numbers that had been provided.” 

However, a WCHS teacher brought up the opposing question: “We haven’t seen a change from our original 8th grade enrollment numbers since the 4 position cut was announced, so why were we not originally given the true 7.5 number?” It seems to some educators that transparency has not been made a priority by the administration, and has caused the confusion and frustration that Woodford County is currently facing.

This topic is expected to be a contentious point of discussion amongst community members at tonight’s meeting. As 7.5 positions are expected to be cut, questions are being raised about alternative solutions for the budget. According to the Kentucky District Data Profiles of 2024, we are currently in the bottom 5 school districts in the state for instructional spending as a percentage of per-pupil spending. The proportion of our budget that goes to paying for teacher positions is one of the lowest in the state, and it’s expected to drop us down to the bottom 6 schools in the state if the proposed cut is adopted. 

Why are we committed to only finding solutions by cutting in one area? Why are so many positions coming out of high school staff, where students are expected to advance to the collegiate level and be prepared for their careers by the end of their 4-year stay? 

In comparison to our bottom 5 placement in budget proportion that goes to TEACHERS, we are ranked 11th in the state for administrative and support spending (from the same data profile). In terms of numbers, only 10 of Kentucky’s school districts spend a higher percentage of their budgets directly on admin and support. We are simultaneously spending one of the lowest budget proportions on the adults that directly influence our students’ successes, and the highest budget proportions on staff that many students aren’t able to recognize by name or face.

Faith Ann Davis, the Student representative on SBDM, explained, “Woodford County High School is successful because of its students. Its students are successful because of their teachers. Currently, WCHS students have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of careers and arts classes, but if we were to lose 7.5 teachers, those opportunities would be lost… It is devastating to think that our students may have to suffer this great loss because their teachers, the people responsible for their daily learning, vital to their success, may be removed. ”

In her WKYT interview, Dr. Lori Jones emphasized that “We want to make sure our citizens feel a part of our school system and that they know they are a valued partner”. One way to achieve this goal is to encourage the participation of all community members in important discussions like these. I would encourage every parent, student, and teacher to drive down to the old high school at 6 PM tonight for the Board meeting. The discussion of the meeting will include whether or not 7.5 teaching positions will be cut, and if it would allow the cuts to be reorganized and spread more evenly across areas.

Speaking at these meetings isn’t a requirement. Simply sitting in the audience is enough to ensure that the members of the School Board know their actions are public to the people they represent. The decisions they make will not go unnoticed by citizens of Versailles, and the ultimate vote of the meetings will be recorded, remembered, and discussed over the next semester and 2067-2027 school year.

I urge you to sit in on the meeting and remind our elected board members of this fact. If you wish to speak at the meeting, you must contact Jessie Rayburn about your interest in public comment. This can be done by way of a 3-minute speech about an item on the agenda or by sending an email with your comment for Elaine Bailey, Communications Officer, to read aloud at the meeting. More information and submission methods are available by scrolling to the very bottom of the WCPS website and filling out a request.

The Portrait of a Learner initiative is a new addition to WCPS schools, but it features being responsible contributors, resilient learners, empathetic communicators, reflective collaborators, and creative problem-solvers. Davis concluded with “There is no doubt that we as a district have a problem right now, but I would like to see our board and our district practice that ‘creative problem-solving’ and find a way to keep the teachers who foster student learning and make such a great difference in the lives of our many students.”

For a school district with the motto “Where Kids Win”, our executive leadership seems to be continuously forgetting to think about the effects these changes will have on students. Losing 8 teachers at the high school means losing valuable mentorships, available course loads, and a continued decline in the money put toward student success. On the other hand, administration seems largely unaffected by the changes (or that information has remained private and undisclosed to the community). Reach out to members of the board, express your opinions on their clear prioritizing of administrative abilities over the value of teachers, and step up by attending tonight’s meeting.