Restructuring.

The largest school district in Kentucky with the state's most underperforming schools is top of mind for one state lawmaker.

As our June LaFleur reports, a Louisville lawmaker recommends splitting Jefferson County public schools into two or more districts.

This bill is targeting children and families across our state that are stuck in persistently underperforming school districts with no way out.

We have to give them an option.

We have to give them hope for the future.

Underperforming in this case means comprehensive support and improvement schools, or SES, a designation for the bottom 5% of schools in the state based on test scores and graduation rates.

As the name says, these schools are singled out to receive more resources and intervention to turn things around.

That that school district would have over 50% of our state's CSI schools.

That means that over 50% of our schools that need comprehensive support and improvement would lie within that one district.

This year, one school district would fall under that distinction.

CPS this bill is not targeting JCPs.

This bill is targeting the future of Kentucky.

JCPs serves nearly 15% of Kentucky's public school students, but runs 80% of the state's six schools.

The next largest school district, Fayette County Public Schools, has just one school on the CSI roster this year.

This bill would allow a local legislative body to propose and pass new maps when a persistently underperforming school district is within their purview.

If they pass those maps by majority vote.

Then the general public would vote on whether or not they would like to adopt those maps and the new school districts.

So we're including everyone.

The General Assembly doesn't get to decide what it looks like.

The people of that area will decide what the new district makeup will look like based on that vote.

Breaking up JCPs into smaller districts is no new idea.

A committee of lawmakers spent nearly all of 2024 studying JCPs, in part to see if splitting the district would work.

Operationally, we've seen very large school districts struggle just based on the sheer size of trying to accommodate the diverse needs of so many different types of students.

And so I think a smaller school district provides a lot of benefit for governance and for operational methods.

An education analyst for the state told lawmakers nationally, smaller districts have merged to pull resources.

Splitting the district is novel and untested.

UEA is not aware of any deconsolidation efforts.

That.

Have been finalized into law.

The General Assembly dropped the task force in 2025 and passed no legislative restructuring that year.

For Kentucky edition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you.

June Kate contacted two JCPs board members and the local teachers union for this story.

None replied to our request for comment.