LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - “The district has operated too long with systems lacking alignment and accountability,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Brian Yearwood, who is in his first school year at the helm. “We received ESSA funds during the pandemic, funds that help us hire nurses, purchase buses, and provide things like Chromebooks. But what didn’t happen was a plan for when those funds ended.”

In other words, JCPS received money from the federal government in the form of federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. This money was meant to address immediate needs and learning loss and wasn’t meant to be a permanent solution. When these one-time funds expired, Yearwood said there was no plan in place for how to cover costs.

“The defici

See Full Page