Back to school for Fayette County Public Schools Wednesday
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – As Fayette County Public Schools prepare to welcome students back for the new school year, Superintendent Demetrus Liggins sat down with ABC 36 for an exclusive interview. Entering his fourth year as district leader, Liggins expressed confidence that the district is ready for a successful first day of school on Wednesday.
Addressing concerns from last year, Liggins reported that all bus driver positions are filled, and 99 percent of teaching spots have been secured, with around 700 new staff members joining the district.
This school year brings the implementation of new state legislation, including a requirement to teach cursive writing in elementary schools. Liggins confirmed that teachers have received the necessary training to incorporate cursive into the curriculum.
Another significant change is a new policy prohibiting vaping on school property. To enforce this, Fayette County Public Schools is installing vape detectors in areas such as restrooms.
Liggins also highlighted the ongoing challenge of recovering from the educational setbacks caused by the pandemic. He emphasized that while the district is outperforming the national average in helping students catch up, there is still much work to be done to fully address the loss of learning.
“A recent study basically showed that we have to do more than a year’s worth of work each year, and students have to advance more than a full year’s worth of coursework, in order to eventually catch up with the loss of learning that occurred during those pandemic years. We are pleased to see that we, as a school system, are beating the national average, and we are outpacing other school systems throughout the nation when it comes to our students recovering from the pandemic,” Liggins said.
As students enjoy their final day of summer, Superintendent Liggins acknowledged the progress made but reiterated the importance of continued efforts to ensure a full recovery in academic achievement this year.
