Fayette County schools approve budget amendments as oversight tightens, corrective action plan in place

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Fayette County Public Schools says its financial picture is improving as the district continues work to fix its budget and strengthen oversight.

Earlier this month, FCPS updated its projected deficit to about $5.4 million, much less than previously expected, and integrated its corrective action plan.

"We're beginning work on establishing a formal monitoring and oversight, and looking at a cadence for the formal management reviews," interim Chief Financial Officer Kyna Koch said.

As FCPS works to address those concerns, the board received its first formal update on the district's corrective action plan, a public online dashboard that lets the community track progress.

"This part of the corrective action plan, I think, will really strengthen our internal controls in the permissions area," Koch said.

That new oversight also extends to budget changes.

One approved this evening uses a $225,000 Toyota grant to offset transportation costs, freeing district money for science kits at six schools. The other cuts building-fund revenue and planned repairs by more than $1.3 million after the state changed its funding calculation.

"There's not much we can really do about this. This is from KDE. It is a SEEK calculation," Koch said.

But some in the community claim the impact of the district's financial problems is still being felt.

"A school district cannot expect a community organization to continually bring resources into its buildings while leaving these organizations to figure out how to pay for themselves," said C.J. Carter of the Sharp Futures Foundation.

"They are often the first folks to see cuts, and asked to do more with less. And they are often the last folks considered when it comes to the budget," said Steven Fightmaster, a transportation advocate.