The Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) has recommended the closure or consolidation of five schools next year, with the possibility of further shutdowns, due to a budget shortfall of $188 million. The decisions were guided by the district's Facility Profile Index, which ranks buildings based on condition, operating cost, and enrollment. This index, developed by the operations department in February, aims to track the return on investment in facilities.
Four of the ten schools labeled 'critical' on the index are included in this round of cuts. One notable example is Liberty High School, which is not even in the top 20 of the index but is set to close due to other schools offering credit recovery, a service the school was originally built to provide.
Western High School, ranked as the top school on the index but untouched in this round, is currently operating at just 27% capacity. The JCPS chief operations officer, Dr. Rob Fulk, stated that the board and superintendent need three years to grow enrollment in the magnet program, so no changes are planned for the building.
Other schools high on the list but not part of this round of cuts include:
- McFerran Preparatory Academy (No. 5), which is recommended for rebuilding due to low enrollment and an aging building.
- Breckenridge-Franklin (No. 6), which is considered expensive to run and in poor condition but is still needed in its cluster.
- Churchill Park (No. 8), which costs more than $120,000 per student but has no planned changes.
- Olmsted Academy South (No. 10), which is being considered for consolidation with Olmsted North.
The schools that are part of this round of cuts include:
- TAPP (No. 2) and Waller Williams (No. 3) will be moved to different facilities.
- King Elementary (No. 7) will move into Maupin's building.
- Zachary Taylor Elementary (No. 9) will close entirely.
Hawthorne (No. 11) is under review, with the recommendation to continue monitoring building conditions for improvements. Other schools, including Newburg, Wellington, and Coleridge-Taylor, are also under review as the district works to reduce costs.
The Jefferson County Board of Education will vote on the proposed closures and consolidations at its December 9th meeting. The full Facility Profile Index list is available for reference.
