LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Fayette County Public Schools asked the community to participate in virtual community forums to provide input, ideas and opinions for a screening committee to help them select the next superintendent for the second-largest school district in Kentucky.
The virtual forums are set for 2 and 6:30 p.m. Thursday. There is also a third forum set for 10 a.m. on Saturday. Click here for links to the Zoom meetings that are capped at 500 participants.
FCPS School Board Chair Tyler Murphy explained it is essential stakeholders throughout the Lexington community participate, not just FCPS staff and families.
"We wanted to create an avenue for as many different constituencies and individuals to provide input and solicit their ideas and opinions on what they envisioned for the next superintendent and what they see is the positive attributes we have in FCPS, and the work that we can do together to advance the cause of public education in our community," said Murphy. "Because something I've said repeatedly: It takes a village to raise a child so public education is a community endeavor. So, looking for a leader of our district needs to be a community endeavor as well."
The search firm Greenwood-Asher Associates was hired by the district and is hosting the forum. Anyone unable to attend is encouraged to fill out this survey. For larger organizations or groups who want to host their own forum can click here to learn more.
Members of the FCPS School Board, including Murphy, as well as members of the superintendent screening committee, plan to join the Zoom forums to listen.
"We're going to be there as observers, because, again, this is the community's opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts with us. We're there as listeners and we just want to gather as much input as possible to inform these very important decisions," said Murphy.
Murphy told LEX 18 the forums and surveys will be "heavily" considered by the screening committee after the search firm compiles reports including comments from the community.
He said the forums and surveys are "going to help guide the work of the search team as they develop a candidate profile; as they review applicants and recruit potential applicants. And then the discussions that our Screening Committee has as well. And then we'll have another opportunity for community feedback and input once we have finalists and folks in the community are able to actually meet some potential candidates."
He said if all goes according to plan, there should be a finalist for the superintendent position announced by the end of May
"This is not a decision that we can make in isolation," Murphy said. "It has to be made in partnership with our community because that's how we're going to lead the state's second-largest school district in partnership."
