JANUARY 18, 2026 – This week, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood hosted a series of meetings with various stakeholders regarding the district’s $142 million budget reduction proposal. On Thursday, January 15, the Louisville Urban League joined other community organizations to hear Dr. Yearwood’s presentation. 

We recognize the immense challenge of closing a $132 million deficit as a new leader, and we appreciate the deliberate effort by Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood to prioritize protecting direct classroom instruction. He emphasized that students were placed at the center of this plan and that student success is the priority. These cuts are brave, bold, and well-thought-out.

For years, the Urban League has advocated for a leaner, more responsive central administration that exists primarily to serve the needs of students and educators on the front lines. We are generally supportive of the proposed $44 million reduction in central office overhead and the elimination of 300 non-instructional positions. These are difficult but necessary steps to ensure that the district remains fiscally responsible while keeping its focus where it belongs: on student outcomes. 

However, as an organization committed to equity, we recognize that “the central office” often includes vital support roles that directly impact our most vulnerable students. We are particularly attentive to the proposed $41 million in cuts to supplemental and “add-on” programs. While we understand the need to streamline, we have questions about the long-term impact of reducing Academic Instructional Coaches (AICs) and other roles that are essential to providing a healthy, high-quality learning environment in our Choice Zone and high-needs schools.

The Louisville Urban League will continue to monitor the following as this budget process moves toward a vote and implementation beyond:

• Equity: Ensuring that the reduction of “Needs Index” funding and the closure/merger of schools does not disproportionately harm schools serving low-income students, students of need, and students of color.
• Personnel Transitions: Monitoring how staff from eliminated roles are reassigned to fill the district’s existing teacher vacancies. We support finding job opportunities for those whose positions will be eliminated, but the district must ensure people are heading into roles they are aptly qualified to execute.
• Student Services: Verifying that the reduction in operations and contracts does not degrade the quality of transportation or essential student support services, particularly mental health, disability, and special needs services.

We believe this proposal represents a thoughtful starting point for a “New Day” in JCPS—one rooted in financial accountability. Dr. Yearwood repeatedly said he did not want to cut anything, and it is important that this is a mess not of his making, but now his mess to resolve. To do that, he and the board must continue to be transparent, inclusive of families, partners, and educators, and remain student-centered. 

We look forward to continuing our dialogue with Dr. Yearwood and the Board of Education to ensure that as the district shrinks its footprint, it expands its impact on student achievement. The Louisville Urban League will continue our support and partnership with the district and we hope other organizations, businesses, and elected officials will sincerely and substantially do the same.

About the Louisville Urban League
The Louisville Urban League assists African Americans and those at the margins in attaining social and economic equality and stability through direct services and advocacy. For more information, go to lul.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.