Fayette County schools finance chief has been absent for months. Here’s why
Fayette County Public School officials confirmed this week that its long-time finance chief is on medical leave.
District officials have confirmed that FCPS executive director of financial accounting Rodney Jackson is on medical leave after not commenting on his employment with Fayette County Public Schools for months.
District officials confirmed in April one member of the finance department was on medical leave and two others were placed on administrative leave. But the district would not name those employees at the time.
Jackson has held leadership positions in the finance department for more than a decade, according to his personnel file.
The Lexington Herald-Leader filed an Open Records Act request for Jackson’s personnel file and any correspondence regarding notice of leave. Jackson’s personnel file contained no documents related to leave. The district denied the requests for correspondence, saying releasing that information would violate federal labor and healthcare protection laws.
But Miranda Scully, a spokeswoman for the district, confirmed this week in an email Jackson is on medical leave.
Jackson, who has been employed with the district since 1999, has not attended or spoken at Fayette County Board of Education meetings since March, according to board documents.
The school board and Fayette County Superintendent Demetrus Liggins, now on administrative paid leave pending a review of his employment, hired Kyna Koch, who previously worked for the Kentucky Department of Education, earlier this year to examine its finances.
Koch and Liggins announced in April that a review showed the district’s finances had been misstated for decades.
The district is now trying to right its books, which has led to the elimination of 120 positions, cuts to staff work days and a $95 million short-term loan to help the district’s cash-flow.
Koch has said the district will have to re-state its finances for the 2025 and 2026 fiscal year.
Acting Director of Finance Amy Smith told the board in May that in 2025, the district overstated or overestimated its local tax collections by more than $8.5 million. In addition, there were multiple instances where money was deposited in the wrong accounts, Smith said.
Koch has also said there were times when the district missed deadlines for grants. In one instance, a $200,000 contract for a software program was never approved by the board, which is required.
Jackson signed that contract, according to records the Herald-Leader received through an Open Records Act request.
Jackson did not immediately respond to an email from the Herald-Leader requesting comment Thursday morning.
The dust up over the district’s tumultuous finances led to the Fayette County Board of Education vote Wednesday to place Liggins on paid administrative leave after months of turmoil.
