Fayette schools aim to get ahead of possible federal cuts with contingency plans

Ninety-six positions in the Fayette County School District would be at risk if federal money for low-income students is cut, Deputy Superintendent Houston Barber told parent-teacher association members in Lexington Thursday night.

At the March 24 Fayette school board meeting, Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said, “There’s not one school in our district that will not be impacted if we lose federal funding. Not one. Every last one of them will be impacted in some way negatively. We have special needs children on every single campus and we have special programs on every single campus, all of which receive some sort of federal funding.”

About $40 million — or nearly 5% — of the district’s $817 million budget comes from federal funding, a source that’s become uncertain in recent months as President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.

If some or all of that money is cut, Barber said, “We’re going to have to prioritize” and make recommendations to the school board about certain positions, certain supports for students, and reallocation of resources.

Meanwhile, Barber told 16th District PTA members who gathered at Bryan Station High School that district staff is prepared to ask the school board to make budget adjustments if needed.

Barber added that he doesn’t think all the district’s federal money would be cut after Trump signed an executive order Thursday that aims to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. The agency’s workforce has also been slashed by layoffs under Trump.

The president has accused the department of wasteful spending, but Trump can’t eliminate the agency without a vote by U.S. Congress, which created the Department of Education in 1979.

In February, Fayette County Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins and school board chairman Tyler Murphy wrote to Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr, asking him not to support proposed federal cuts that would hurt school-based health clinics, free school breakfast and lunch, teacher training and other programs.

In Fayette County, 3,850 staff hold state certifications, including 3,059 teachers. Some of the district’s other 3,065 staff members are also in classrooms.

Fayette County district officials are making plans for recommendations to the school board in the event of cuts ranging from zero to $2 million, from $2 to $10 million, from $10 million to $20 million, and from $20 million to $40 million, which would be the worst scenario, Barber said.

Fayette County schools get federal money for several initiatives, including $26 million for school meals. Other federal money goes for school improvement, effective instruction, migrant students, English language acquisition, students with disabilities, student support and academic enrichment, career and technical education, homeless students, preschool, reading and digital learning.

Federal money pays for classroom staff who work directly with children, Barber said. It can pay for substitute teachers, teacher training, health clinics and some transportation.

Federal money is awarded a year ahead, so the district’s concerns are mostly for 2026-2027. Congress could, however, shut down allocations for 2025-2026.

For now, without having information about federal cuts, “We’ve made some really good moves of not spending money, tightening, but we haven’t made official decisions or recommendations yet because we are getting ready for the 2025- 2026 budget,” Barber said.

“We’ve asked our departments to look into their budgets and see where they can not spend a certain amount as we close out the year. We’ve reduced overtime. We are trying to maximize and optimize our budget. We have not cut positions, “ said Barber.

“We feel good about this year. It’s moving forward, what would happen?,” he said.

Depending on what federal funds end up being cut, Barber said the school district could ask school board members to implement any of the following measures:

▪ Resource Reallocation: Don’t increase expenses but instead use resource reallocation as a standard operating procedure.

▪ Restructuring: Initiate analysis of departments, grants utilization and district processes to identify potential opportunities to create efficiencies and effectiveness with both that maximize taxpayer dollars already allocated.

▪ Rightsizing: Each departmental leader at Central Office justifies to administration their staffing level and resources. The Superintendent makes final decisions, keeping in mind the recommendations of previous studies and board investments and priorities.

▪ Reevaluate programs and processes by analyzing return on investment that impacts attendance, achievement and acceleration.

▪ Restrict spending to needs versus wants..

▪ Reset culture to maximize efficiency and effectiveness throughout the entire district under the leadership of the superintendent and the board of education.

Susan Voglesong, president of the 16th District PTA, said Barber’s presentation Thursday night put numbers to “what we’re hearing in the news and to really take a look and see exactly what is at stake, what could be impacted and to hear a little bit more about what FCPS is doing and what they have planned.”

On Thursday night, after Trump signed the executive order aiming to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, Murphy, the school board chairman, posted on Facebook: “Today’s Executive Order is yet another gut punch for the tens of thousands of children and families in Fayette County who rely on programs administered by the Department of Education — including our most vulnerable students — and to thousands of our educators whose work these programs support.”

The Fayette County Education Association, a teachers’ union posted a statement on Facebook that said, “ Today, politicians in Washington D.C. issued an Executive Order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. This puts critical funding and other supports Kentucky students receive at risk.”

FCEA asked community members to join the group Protect Our Schools KY in signing their petition to ask members of Congress to publicly oppose any actions that could threaten or cut critical school funding.

Another teachers’ union, Kentucky 120 United-AFT said in a statement, “School districts in every zip code will be at risk to lose funding, resources and jobs to support students.”

“The days of Jim Crow and disability discrimination in public education must stay in the past,” the statement said. “Kentucky’s public school districts need union contracts to protect our students, teachers and communities. United we bargain. Divided we beg.”

This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 4:43 PM.