LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Fayette County Public Schools has launched a new initiative called "Project Right Size, Bright Future" to examine how the district can use tax dollars more efficiently and effectively. Still, community members left the first advisory committee meeting on Monday night with more questions than answers.
The committee held its first meeting weeks after the district settled a budget controversy that involved a several-million-dollar shortfall. The initiative stems from suggestions made by a budget work group created over the summer to address the district's financial barriers.
"What have we been doing before this? If we're just now starting to focus on efficiency," asked Dr. Jeni Ward, who has been teaching for more than 20 years.
Ward said the meeting lacked transparency and left attendees without clear direction.
"It was strange that they talked so much about transparency," Ward said. "We had no access to what they were reading, which made it very hard to follow or to even think as a community about what they were considering when they were looking at those proposals."
The committee discussed the possibility of consolidating George Washington Carver STEM Academy for Boys and RISE STEM Academy for Girls. Ward questioned whether consolidation should be the first option.
"There's way more things that can and should probably be even considered before we get to this point where we're consolidating or closing programs," Ward said.
Ward pointed to other potential cost-saving measures the district could explore first.
"I know we own several pieces of property that are unused or underutilized, like with lower enrollments, and I feel like we still rent mobile classrooms all across the district at a very high cost," Ward said.
However, Soraya Matthews, FCPS's chief officer for student belonging and success, said examining vacant buildings falls outside the committee's scope.
"The board is the ultimate decision maker," said Matthews.
Instead, the committee proposed exploring renting various locations to host "The Stables," the district's equine management program.
Matthews emphasized that building costs are the second-largest expense after personnel, underscoring the need for facility efficiency.
"When you think about the cost of buildings, it's second behind personnel. So we know that this is a space that we have to venture into whether we want to or not," Matthews said. "As long as you understand the why. The why is our kids."
Matthews said the work aims to ensure long-term sustainability for the district.
"We want to make sure that our district is able to provide excellent opportunities for our students for many years to come," Matthews said. "This work all connects everything we do in service of sustainability, in service of serving the future, in service of ensuring that we are providing a world class education for our students. It all connects to that greater good for our community."
Ward said the meeting felt similar to previous budget discussions that left community members without concrete information.
"If you came looking for specific answers, I think you would have left very disappointed," Ward said.
The committee will meet again on Thursday to continue the process. Officials said the long-term review could include redistricting as early as 2027.
