Protesting teachers shut down Kentucky school district for second day in a row

Nelson County Schools were closed for a second day as district staff protested middle school inequities, Superintendent Wes Bradley said in a letter to families.

The district was seeing significant shortages among teachers and transportation team members Friday, Bradley said. It appears staffing shortages are in response to district facility planning decisions.

More than 200 staff members were absent Thursday which led to the district canceling classes. The school district, located about an hour from Lexington, has seen several days of unrest. Students on Wednesday walked out in protest over a proposed merger of schools.

Damon Jackey, a former school board member, resigned this week over concerns about the decisions of three fellow school board members. Jackey told the Herald-Leader that the plan the staff is protesting — merging the two high schools — is not the superintendent’s plan.

That plan was constructing a new middle school next to Thomas Nelson High School that would draw from other middle schools, Jackey said.

“Merging the two high schools as the three board members desire would not address that need nor has merging the two high schools even been a plan that has had any time spent to explore what that would look like or take to accomplish,” he said.

Bradley said in his letter to families that the current facility planning endeavor began in April of 2021, “reflecting our commitment to providing the best educational experiences for all children.”

“Recent NCS board decisions have changed course from the original 2021-2022 facility plan to evaluate a path that could potentially consolidate our two high schools into one,” Bradley said.

No formal decision has been made at this time, he said.

“Based on discussion with some staff and school administrators, staffing shortages are in response to a decision making process that has not clearly addressed middle school inequities,” said Bradley. “Staff members have also requested greater community input into the process.”