Fayette Superintendent Liggins got a $12,625 raise. Here’s why
Even with a $12,625 raise in the last school year, Fayette County Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins remains Kentucky’s second-highest paid superintendent, state education records show.
Liggins’ total compensation was $381,767 in the 2024-2025 school year, including pension and benefits, said district spokesperson Miranda Scully.
That’s an increase of $12,625, or 3% over 2023-2024 when he earned $369,142.
Brian Yearwood, Jefferson County’s new superintendent, has a compensation package worth $389,000, based on a contract that went into effect July 1.
He has a $350,000 base salary, receives an additional $30,000 for a retirement plan and an annual car stipend of $9,000, according to information obtained by the Herald-Leader through a Kentucky Open Records Act request.
In 2024-2025, Yearwood’s predecessor, former Jefferson County Superintendent Marty Pollio, earned $636,354.. That included a one-time sick day payout of $163,020 because he retired. It’s a one-time payout any retiring employee receives for sick days, district spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said.
Jefferson County school district is twice the size of Fayette County. It has nearly 97,000 students compared to Fayette County’s 41,000.
Liggins’ pay bump in the 2024-25 academic school year (shifting his salary from $369,142 to $381,767) is the result of two factors, the district’s spokeswoman said.
His contract calls for an annual raise of approximately 3 percent. A district-wide “step-up” for experience, which is a standard part of the salary schedule for all eligible employees, also contributed to the pay jump.
Fayette school board chairman Tyler Murphy told the Herald-Leader in 2024 that Liggins’ pay raises are “tied to adjustment in educator salaries, guaranteeing that his pay increases do not outpace those of a classroom teacher of similar experience and credentials.”
Liggins’ raise is automatic due to his contract. It was not voted on by the Fayette County School Board so it was not publicly disclosed.
The average superintendent salary in the commonwealth is around $150,000, according to Kentucky Department of Education data.
News of his raise comes as the Fayette County district’s finances have been under increased scrutiny since it announced it is facing a $16 million deficit. The school board proposed and later spiked an effort to raise the occupational tax to shore up its finances in June.
The school district started a task force to look at ways to either cut spending or find new revenue. One proposal that has drawn criticism from business leaders is increasing occupational license tax.
“We can’t tax our way out of this process. The reality is that the budget is structurally imbalanced,” representatives from the University of Kentucky and Commerce Lexington wrote in a July 30 op-ed column submitted to the Herald-Leader.
“Bringing balance to the revenues and expenses is the only way to achieve long-term stability and sustainability.”
Fayette County Public School spending is also the subject of a new state audit that’s to be completed in 2026. School officials have long said its had several years of clean audits.
This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 4:00 AM.