More state lawmakers are expressing concern with Fayette County Public Schools.

Tonight, five Democratic state representatives serving the Lexington area say they've lost confidence in the district's leadership, including that of Superintendent Demetrius Liggins.

They're calling for an independent forensic audit, which they say has been met with hesitancy from the administration.

The move comes a day after the school board approved a new budget of more than $800 million.

After months of uncertainty, including a $16 million budget shortfall, attempts to raise taxes and dipping into the contingency fund to help balance the budget.

Tonight, state lawmakers are also demanding transparency and a statement they say, quote, a controversial new tax proposal, conflicting financial reports, questionable spending and use of eminent domain to take property from homeowners.

All of these actions undermine the public trust.

Fayette County families and taxpayers deserve better.

They added.

Last night, school board meeting made it clear that the community has also lost trust in the administration.

Here are some of the public comments from that meeting.

There is either incompetence or mismanagement, and neither is acceptable when it comes to education.

Superintendent Liggins and the board have lost trust within the public.

In order for me to truly trust the results of such an audit, it would require that the entire audit be conducted outside of the entity of CPS.

You've had the audacity to blame this deficient on school staffing and kids without adequate lunch money.

Instead of administrative, travel, catering, and other lavish spending such as monogrammed robes.

This level of gross mismanagement would not be acceptable in the best of times.

But in an era where the funding of our entire education system is under attack on an unprecedented level, this failure demands accountability.

We, the people of Lexington, whose taxes fund this institution, demanded a full forensic external audit from our community.

Later in the meeting, Superintendent Liggins told the board some of the comments were inaccurate.

The $16 million was an anticipated budget shortfall.

There's no missing money.

That's $16 million.

That was something that said, if we do everything that the board has that they want to do and keep moving forward, we will be $16 million short.

So there's never $16 million missing money.

That was said several times earlier that was completely inaccurate.

There is no missing $16 million.

That was a projection based off of what was anticipated to be spent.

Yesterday, three Republican state lawmakers called for the immediate resignation of Superintendent Liggins and Fayette County Board Chair Tyler Murphy.

They accused the administration of mismanaging the district's finances, creating a hostile administrative culture and lacking transparency.

This afternoon, Democratic state Representative George Brown of Lexington said in a statement, rejecting calls for Liggins to resign.

He notes the current administration's academic achievements and says while it's clear the district is facing financial challenges, he says, quote, the superintendent has acknowledged where improvements are needed and rather than avoiding accountability, he has welcomed independent audits and investigations.

End quote.

Last night on Wkyt Kentucky Tonight, during a conversation about the state's K through 12 education system, I asked another superintendent, Rob Clayton of Warren County, about the situation in Fayette County.

Superintendent Clayton, what kind of message does that send when state lawmakers call for the resignation of a district level superintendent and the board chair?

Well, I think, first of all, it speaks to the times that we were in for a long time.

Education was nonpartisan, and that has come and gone.

And so it doesn't surprise me that lawmakers would weigh in.

And I think, really, what's most important is the lens that you're looking at when you discuss the budget, you discuss how funding has not kept up.

There is more from our conversation last night about K through 12 education.

You can stream that online on demand at wkyt.org/k y tonight.