FCPS superintendent highlights recent budget issues at event for national award
Fayette County Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins is handling more financial responsibilities following budget troubles in the district, he said at a recent panel discussion with three other national superintendent of the year finalists.
Liggins is in the running for national superintendent of the year, awarded by the School Superintendent’s Association. The award will be presented next month in Nashville, Tenn.
At a Jan. 8 panel discussion in Virginia, Liggins noted that the district’s budget — although ultimately passed at a balanced $827.2 million — was one of the challenges he’d faced as head of Fayette County Schools.
“It certainly was a challenge to take care of that,” Liggins said. “One of the things I did as a result of that was actually reorganized my personnel chart so finance (staff) are reporting directly to me now instead of a deputy superintendent and I have ongoing conversations with our financial people on a regular basis. “
He said he had made a concerted effort to attend conferences for the district’s “business office.”
“Typically, I ... depended on the finance people, the budget office, the business office, to go to those alone. So now I’m accompanying them and going to those as well, just to make sure that I have a very clear understanding of that.”
Liggins said having that information is helpful when he meets with legislators and other officials to discuss needed funding for the district.
Liggins said he is staying close to the financial department and the day-to-day operations “without getting too involved to mess it up.”
The national superintendent award recognizes district leaders for outstanding leadership and dedication to advancing public education in their communities, according to a news release from Fayette County Schools.
Fayette County Schools faced significant budget issues last year, including a since-resolved $16 million budget shortfall, a depleted contingency, or rainy day, fund, and concerns about its financial future.
The district tried to pass a new payroll tax with little public notice to help solve the budget shortfall, an effort that was deemed unlawful by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.
Liggins was called to testify before a 2025 interim legislative committee where lawmakers criticized him over travel and other expenses.
In September, three Republican state lawmakers called on Liggins and school board Chairman Tyler Murphy to resign, and five Democratic state lawmakers from Lexington said the community had lost confidence in the district’s leadership.
“The community no longer trusts the current administration,” the Democrats said in a statement. “A controversial new tax proposal, conflicting financial reports, questionable spending, and use of eminent domain to take property from homeowners — all of these actions undermine the public trust. We want to be clear: Fayette County families and taxpayers deserve better.”
Liggins on other issues
At the hourlong panel discussion, Caitlynn Peetz, a reporter for the national outlet Education Week, asked questions of Liggins and fellow finalists Roosevelt Nivens, of Lamar Consolidated Independent District in Texas, Heather Perry, superintendent of Gorham School District in Maine, and Sonia Santelises, chief executive officer of Baltimore City Schools in Maryland.
An FCPS news release outlined Liggins comments on other issues:
Artificial intelligence: “We are focusing on AI as something that’s not going anywhere. I liken it to the internet, which changed education and how we operate as a whole,” Liggins said. “We’re making sure AI is used in a responsible manner. It’s something we can embrace, but we also have the guardrails.”
Career readiness: Liggins said high school students can choose career and technical education programs with industry certifications, and that FCPS tries to ensure families know about the non-college options..
“Getting prepared to go out into the real world starts when students enter kindergarten,” Liggins said.