Fayette County School Board reacts to district spending analysis on travel, food
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Board reaction mixed on superintendent travel and expenses amid financial troubles
- Superintendent Liggins charged more than $151,000 for travel ,$25,969 for food
- Board hires external auditor, pauses spending and tightens travel and food rules
One member of the Fayette County Board of Education Wednesday defended the travel and expense spending of Superintendent Demetrus Liggins and other staff members.
Penny Christian, who started serving on the board in January, said it was not fair to criticize Liggins’ travel when there was no way to compare Liggins’ travel with previous superintendents and superintendents of other large school districts.
“However, what I will say is, unless someone chooses to compare those expenses to past superintendents, or even superintendents in comparable districts, what is the point of sharing the information?” Christian said.
“Also, if money is spent on students, why is that a problem,?” Christian said, referring to some charges that paid for activities for students.
The Herald-Leader reported Wednesday, Liggins charged more than $151,000 to the district for travel and other expenses from January 2023 to May 2025.
The newspaper’s investigation of Liggins’ spending shows at least $25,969 was charged for food, including meals for staff, students and others; $44,150 on hotels, and $8,084 on airfare.
Among the receipts were 12 food orders or meals that cost between $300 and $1,000, and at least eight that cost more than $1,000.
At least $9,088 was for meals for his cabinet, district chiefs and administrators at Lexington restaurants such as Malone’s, Papi’s, Wild Eggs and Sedona Tap House, according to receipts from his procurement card, a type of credit card businesses and governments use to streamline the purchase of goods and services.
The Herald-Leader reported Sept. 29 Fayette County Public Schools employees racked up more than $2.5 million in charges on school-issued credit cards from August 2024 to January 2025, according to the district’s financial records.
Among those charges were 34 meals that cost between $500 and $1,000, and 23 meals that cost more than $1,000.
The analysis of FCPS spending comes after the district announced it had a $16 million shortfall and dwindling reserves earlier this year. The board passed a budget in September that school district officials says is balanced..
The district is also taking a look at its travel and food policy, halting some practices including gifts for teachers, clamping down on professional travel to conferences and stopping sponsoring tables for other nonprofits. The school board is hiring an external auditor to examine its finances, including its travel and entertainment policies and how district officials use procurement cards.
Other board members were more critical of the school system’s spending.
Board member Amanda Ferguson, who has served with four superintendents, said she believes Liggins has traveled more than prior superintendents.
“While I do not have specific records or exact numbers, I feel that Dr. Liggins definitely travels more than previous superintendents I have worked with, and the trips tend to be nationwide more than throughout Kentucky or the region,” Ferguson said.
“In addition, it sounds like he incorporates more of his staff when dining out and entertaining, given some of the charges (the Herald-Leader has) cited.”
FCPS Board President Tyler Murphy said the board does not see or approve procurement card receipts. The board does, however, approve professional travel for all district personnel, including Liggins’ travel to conferences.
Murphy said he wanted to see the results of the external audit before commenting on Liggins or other employees’ travel and expenses. The use of procurement cards in local governments is common.
The district has safeguards and guard rails in place to make sure those procurement cards are not abused, he said.
“As a board we have listened to our community and are engaging in multiple ongoing and pending internal and external investigations and examinations to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of these and other processes,” he said.
“Out of respect to the integrity of the process and to ensure a fair and comprehensive review of all practices, we must allow these processes to happen and the facts to be fully determined before drawing final conclusions. Our School Board’s focus remains on supporting students and staff in the important work happening every day in our classroom.”
Board member Monica Mundy said it’s clear the school system needs to clamp down on spending.
“When a school district faces a $16 million deficit, even after more than $7 million in prior reductions and three consecutive years of overspending, it’s clear that meaningful steps must be taken to reduce spending and restore financial stability,” Mundy said. “I look forward to the results of the investigations underway as it’s evident that our current systems need stronger oversight and improvement.”
Board member Amy Green did not respond to emails and text messages asking for comment.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 9:53 AM.
