‘Change can be scary’, but new acting Fayette superintendent says he’s up to job

Bill Bradford, the new acting superintendent for Fayette County Public Schools, on Tuesday pledged to become “fluent in budget management” as the district deals with financial turmoil.

He also said he wants to focus on the culture of the organization with controversy looming. Bradford is stepping into the role while Superintendent Demetrus Liggins is on paid administrative leave. Liggins told the Fayette County Board of Education in an email that he wanted to leave the job, but then said he wasn’t resigning, and his employment is now under investigation. FCPS has dealt with financial issues for over a year now.

“Fiscal health absolutely resonates as a number one priority, but I would attest that the second piece of the puzzle that is very important for me to provide essential leadership to right now is the culture of the organization,” Bradford said. “I’m certainly very mindful to how people are currently feeling and I am referring to teachers, school leaders, district office staff, families, the community, our legislators.

“I think we are certainly facing changes at the district level, and I acknowledge that and change is very hard. Change can be a little bit scary, it can provide anxiety, and one of my top priorities in moving into this role is to provide stability and the continuity of services,” Bradford said during a Tuesday news briefing.

Liggins was placed on leave last week, just before allegations of a “threat” from Liggins surfaced from a state lawmaker who is also a district employee. An attorney for Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, said Liggins slipped a note under Camuel’s office door at FCPS’ central office which essentially threatened her with legal action because she criticized the school district.

Camuel’s lawyer says the note was an email that purported to come from a law firm asserting that Liggins may have been defamed by critics. But the firm that allegedly sent the email, Kaplan, Johnson Abate and Bird, says it’s fake. That firm has represented the Herald-Leader in court in unrelated cases.

Liggins has denied writing the email, and his lawyer says he did not put it under Camuel’s door.

The school board hired another law firm to conduct a review of Liggins’ employment, but officials have not said what the review is about.

Meanwhile, state education officials pledged Tuesday to help Bradford and FCPS as the state’s second-largest district tries to move forward and right its financial missteps.

“The Kentucky Department of Education will continue to work closely with Dr. Bradford and district leadership to support the district during Superintendent Liggins’ leave of absence,” said Myles Young, a department spokesman. “Our priority remains ensuring that students, educators and families have the resources and support needed for a successful 2026-2027 school year.”

The Kentucky Department of Education, which has oversight of local school district’s finances, does not have a comment on the ongoing investigation into Liggins, Young said.

“If a local board of education takes action to remove a superintendent, state law requires that decision to be reviewed by the commissioner for approval pursuant to (state law),” Young said.

Liggins’ attorney says they’re ‘working on a proposal’

Liggins’ attorney, C. Ed Massey, said Tuesday he was “working on a confidential proposal” to the Fayette County school board attorney regarding Liggins’ exit from the school district.

A Herald-Leader reporter asked if law enforcement officials or prosecutors were questioning Liggins.

“We have not received any calls from prosecutors,” Massey responded. “We have no idea who composed that letter. Candidly, it could be anyone that’s trying posture a position. He is not resigning today. We want a solution that will benefit Fayette County (Schools) and Dr. Liggins. The other commentary is simply noise.”

What Bradford will do?

As a former assistant superintendent and former district level executive administrator, Bradford said on his fourth day as acting superintendent, ”I feel very prepared. I feel very ready and I feel equipped to provide the essential leadership that our district needs right now to carry forward momentum in progress.” He said he had spent considerable time meeting with the district’s interim chief financial officer, Kyna Koch.

“She and I can be aligned with the work that she and her team are doing to provide stability and correction to our current financial situation,” he said. “One of my priorities is to make sure that we move forward in a strategic and intentional way. I understand that the changes in leadership are well documented, but my ascension to acting superintendent and the team of whom I have the privilege of working with here at the district level are more than prepared to carry forward the work to verify that nothing is left behind and that we continue to make progress.”

Bradford said while he has significant background in academic leadership and school leadership, “I also have a wealth of experience with school finance, with operations, with human resources, with inclusion and belonging.” Bradford said under his leadership, the school district will make corrections, become fiscally healthy and have a solid plan for moving forward that supports schools and programs for students. Transparency will be a big part of his efforts, he said. “I think the absence of information does lead to uncertainty, “ he said. ”One of the things that is going to be very important for us in moving forward is to make sure that when we are able to share information, we do and that when our board team has a request for information that they receive that.”

Bradford said he will do everything he can to earn trust.

“I hope that you will see through my behaviors and my actions, what I say, how I say it, what I do and how I do it will demonstrate that this leadership team that is in place today can carry forward the work and continue to strive for what we are aiming to accomplish,” he said.

Bradford’s current salary is $200,684, according to FCPS’ salary database. He said he hasn’t asked for more money as he moves into the acting superintendent role. “My priority has been on the fiscal health of Fayette County Public Schools, and I have focused predominantly on what is in the best interest of the school district. I have not engaged with the Board of Education in any conversations regarding compensation beyond my core role as assistant superintendent,” he said.

Bradford also acknowledged there are maintenance problems at various schools, and he wants to “continue to identify solutions.”

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He said providing stability for the school district is a big priority for him.

Asked during a media briefing if he would be interested in taking on the superintendent role full-time, Bradford said his role as the acting leader “is not an opportunity to engage in a career ladder experience.”

“I really want to focus on what my charge has been, which is to continue a certain level of service and to provide stability in leadership right now in moving forward. And should the position be one that is available in the future, I’ll evaluate that opportunity in the future.”

Acting FCPS superintendent’s background

Bradford, an assistant superintendent, began his career as a Spanish teacher at Lafayette High School.

Bradford has led several full-scale organizational projects at the district level and was named assistant superintendent in July 2024. He has supervised the office of School Leadership & Learning Support, and most recently oversaw the departments of Athletics, Grant Partnerships, School-Based Decision Making Councils, and Magnet School Assistance Programs.

Bradford graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish language and literature from Transylvania University, where he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in diving.

He holds a master’s degree in education from Georgetown College, a master’s degree in instructional leadership from Eastern Kentucky University, and a doctor of education degree in educational leadership from Northern Kentucky University, where he works as an adjunct instructor in the College of Education, supporting the principal preparation program, the news release said.

After Bradford taught Spanish at Lafayette, he was asked to serve at the FCPS district level as a K-12 instructional support specialist. In that role, he worked with feeder patterns of Title I schools but focused specifically on middle schools. In 2010, Bradford was hired as principal of Sixth District Elementary School in Covington, and three years later became assistant superintendent for the Covington Independent Public Schools.

He moved on as principal of River Ridge Elementary in Kenton County in 2015, and subsequently accepted the role of assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning for the Fort Thomas Independent Schools, a position he held until returning to FCPS in 2022. He served as chief of middle schools at FCPS from 2022-24.

Herald-Leader reporter Beth Musgrave contributed to this story.

This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 12:29 PM.