Kentucky governor ‘eager’ to see results of Fayette school finance investigations

Gov. Andy Beshear told the Herald-Leader Friday he is eager to see the results of pending investigations into Fayette County Public Schools’ finances.

Beshear’s office made a statement one day after FCPS revealed its finances have been misstated for years, going back to 2008. The district will need a short-term loan to cover costs until tax revenues are collected, according to Kyna Koch, interim chief financial officer for FCPS.

“The Governor is monitoring the situation and is eager to see the results of the external audit and pending investigations,” Beshear’s spokesperson Scottie Ellis said Friday. “As a product of Kentucky’s public schools, the Governor will never lose faith in the system and hopes that the necessary steps are taken to get FCPS’s finances back on track so that we can focus on the education of our students.”

Beshear graduated from Fayette County Public Schools’ Henry Clay High School, district officials have said.

Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball, who is conducting an independent exam of the district, also spoke Friday about the concerns shared by Koch and Superintendent Demetrus Liggins.

“Yesterday, in an email to Fayette County Public Schools’ parents, Superintendent Liggins disclosed serious financial problems within the district that my auditors and CFO Kyna Koch and her team have been working tirelessly to uncover,” Ball told the Herald-Leader. “We will continue this collaborative effort to get FCPS’s finances back on track so that the students, parents, teachers, staff, and taxpayers of Fayette County are better served.”

Koch said Thursday she does not “have confidence in the accuracy of the financial information that’s previously been given to Dr. Liggins, the board of education, and the public.”

Kentucky Department of Education officials on Friday would not discuss their next steps or say whether they would have involvement in correcting FCPS’ financial situation. During Thursday’s announcement, Liggins and Koch said FCPS may have failed to meet certain state and federal requirements with regard to budgeting. But they did not say what those requirements were.

Two FCPS finance employees are on paid leave pending the results of the investigations into the district’s budget problems.

FCPS’ ongoing financial issues were first made public last year. The district, at the time, feared a $16 million budget deficit and said its contingency fund, or rainy day fund, had much less money than officials previously thought.

In addition to Ball’s audit and an external audit being conducted by a Texas firm, two other investigations have already substantiated problems with district officials’ handling of the budget. That includes Liggins, who was found to have not followed board policy in his oversight of financial matters. Lawmakers have taken issue with Fayette County Board of Education chair Tyler Murphy, and have passed a law that seeks to stop him from being able to run for office again.

A separate independent investigation into Fayette County Public Schools’ budgeting practices “identified systemic deficiencies in forecasting, financial monitoring, and internal communication.”

District officials have said at times in the past that criticisms of the district’s financial situation was “misinformation.”

The Herald-Leader was not granted a request for an interview with district officials to discuss how the misstatements occurred.

Instead, district spokesperson Miranda Scully said, “Fayette County Public Schools understands that our families, staff and community have questions following the update on district finances. We want to be clear: transparent, timely communication remains a top priority as we work through these complex issues.

“We are committed to sharing accurate and consistent information, and we will continue to provide updates through established channels as more details become available. Our goal is to ensure our families and staff hear directly from us with clear, verified information,” Scully said.

The school board is set to meet Monday, where Scully said finances will be discussed.

“We appreciate the community’s patience as this work continues, and we remain focused on supporting our students, staff and families while addressing these challenges responsibly.”

This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 4:35 PM.