Fayette County school board approves budget as calls for leadership resignations grow
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Fayette County Board of Education approved its working budget for the next school year Monday night, while continuing to face pressure over financial transparency and leadership.
Board members voted 3-2 to approve the final working budget, with a request that Superintendent Dr. Demetrus Liggins present a plan to restore the district’s contingency fund to six percent. The vote follows revelations of a $16 million budget shortfall earlier this year.
During public comment, several speakers called for a full external forensic audit of the district’s finances, citing concerns about trust and transparency. A special virtual audit meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the John D. Price Administration Building on Park Place.
Meanwhile, the district’s leadership continues to come under fire from state lawmakers. Republican State Representative Matt Lockett has called for the resignations of Superintendent Liggins and Board Chair Tyler Murphy, calling the district “a case study in dysfunction” and pointing to financial mismanagement, excessive spending, and a hostile administrative culture.
Republican State Senator Chris McDaniel, chair of the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee, echoed the call, citing “repeated revelations of questionable spending, budget inconsistencies, and transparency failures.” Senator Donald Douglas, also a Republican, added that district leaders have “lost the confidence of parents, employees, and taxpayers.”
In response, Superintendent Liggins released a statement saying Lockett’s comments amounted to “political theater” that undermines trust and ignores academic success in Fayette County schools. He said the district is already addressing the budget shortfall.
Board Chair Tyler Murphy also responded, saying, “I’ll leave the politics to Frankfort and Washington. Our students are better served when our energy is focused where it belongs: the incredible gains happening in classrooms across Fayette County.”
