Former Fayette Superintendent Tom Shelton dies at 62

Former Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Tom Shelton has died, according to Stu Silberman, also a former superintendent for the district.

According to his Facebook profile, he was 62.

Shelton was FCPS superintendent from 2011 to 2014, when he resigned to become executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents. He also previously served as superintendent of Daviess County Schools.

A moment of silence was held for Shelton at Monday’s Fayette school board planning meeting.

Since November 2025, Shelton has been President and CEO of the United Way of the Bluegrass.

“United Way of the Bluegrass is heartbroken to share the passing of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Tom Shelton,” an organization Facebook post said. “Tom firmly believed in the power of community and dedicated his life to serving others. His strong leadership, generous spirit, and unwavering dedication to the mission of UWBG will leave a lasting impact. “

Silberman said Shelton died in his sleep Saturday night.

“Kentucky lost one of its finest leaders when we lost Tom Shelton,” Silberman said. “He was a man of integrity who always tried to do what was right. He stood up for kids and educators whenever needed. I hired Tom in 1995 and watched him grow into one Kentucky’s finest and most respected leaders. We are all saddened by this loss and Tom will be dearly missed. “

Brad Hughes is the former spokesman for the Kentucky School Boards Association who knew Shelton for 30 years, starting with Shelton’s job as finance officer for Daviess County Schools, then superintendent there before moving to Lexington.

Hughes noted that Shelton’s work recreating the Council for Better Education, the group that originally fought for Kentucky’s public schools in a battle that ended with the Kentucky Education Reform Act in 1990. The council blocked school choice efforts and was in ongoing litigation to get the legislature to improve school funding.

“He breathed life back into it,” Hughes said. “The issue about inadequate funding after KERA had been around for a while, but it was under the radar. Tom reinvigorated that and brought attention to inequities in the funding system.”

The pro-public education group Protect Our Schools said, “As Chair of Protect Our Schools KY, Tom brought clarity, courage, and deep conviction to our work. He believed in public education not as an abstract ideal, but as a promise to every child—no matter their zip code.”

Shelton never stopped learning how to grow and strengthen public education, and he never stopped sharing his belief in its power with others, said Allison Slone, the first non-voting active teacher on the Kentucky Board of Education and founder of the Facebook Group Kentucky Teachers In The Know.

“He was a devoted advocate and a determined fighter for what he believed in, someone whose passion deeply inspired me,” Slone said. “I will always be grateful for his generosity in sharing his knowledge, his steady guidance, and his trusted advice.”

Fayette County School Board Chair Tyler Murphy said in a Facebook post about Shelton, “Our community is grateful for his service; his commitment to students, staff, and families in Fayette County; and his work to advance the goal of a world class education for FCPS students. ‘’

FCPS district officials issued a statement that said during his tenure from 2011 to 2014, Shelton led the establishment of the first districtwide professional learning community, which crafted a district mission statement that has stood the test of time and continues to inspire our daily work.

FCPS expanded program offerings for students who thrive in nontraditional academic settings -- opening Carter G. Woodson Academy, STEAM Academy, and The Stables, the statement said.

“Dr. Shelton was a systems thinker who believed in distributive leadership, community partnerships, and collaborative thinking. He fought to ensure that every school had the structures, expertise, and resources to serve every child at high levels. Dr. Shelton championed the power of connection and encouraged every employee to embrace the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our students,” said the statement.

Shelton supported the Kentucky Student Voice Team, which recently sued the General Assembly over lack of funding and other resources in Kentucky public schools. Last week, a judge denied the General Assembly’s motion to dismiss that case, meaning it will go forward.

“The Kentucky Student Voice Team is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Shelton, a champion of Kentucky’s public schools, who believed that students deserved not just a seat in the classroom but a seat at the table in shaping them” the group said in a statement. “His willingness to listen to young people and treat us as true partners profoundly shaped out work and mean more than he could ever know.”

Andrew Brennen, an original student leader in the group, said in a Facebook post that Shelton’s “legacy won’t be forgotten.”

“Tom trusted young people to lead. His passing is a gut punch,” Brennen said. “He has been an unrelenting force in the effort to improve Kentucky schools for as long as I can remember.”

Brennen and he and Shelton first crossed paths in 2014, when Brennen was a high school senior.

“Tom Shelton was a busy superintendent but agreed to meet with two high school kids to discuss the district’s budget shortfall,” Brennen said. Years later, they met to talk about the Student Voice Team’s lawsuit against the state of Kentucky.

When Shelton resigned in 2014 to become executive director of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, the Herald-Leader reported, “Shelton has had a tumultuous year, marked by budget cuts and a state audit that found chronic mismanagement of the district’s finances.”

Wayne Young, former director of the Kentucky Association of School Administrators, said Shelton brought “generational contributions to Kentucky’s educational policy journey, but his impact went far beyond.

“He brought genuine compassion, keen intellect, and zealous advocacy to every challenge and every opportunity he encountered,” Young said. “He was so much more than a valued colleague — he was an unparalleled resource, a calming voice, and a true friend.”

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said Shelton was a man committed to education, young people, and community.

“He used his voice to push for equitable school funding (part of the Kentucky Education Reform Act) and the work of the Council for Better Education; used his talents to lead the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents; and most recently used his passion for our community to serve as President & CEO of the United Way of the Bluegrass,” Gorton said.

Shelton recently created an online page to share the story of his wife, Sharon Hays, who he said needs a living liver transplant. “Sharon’s best chance is a living donor—a healthy person willing to be evaluated to donate a portion of their liver,” Shelton wrote.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

This story was originally published February 8, 2026 at 9:29 PM.