KENTUCKY — State Auditor Allison Ball, R-Ky., shared earlier this year she would like her office to perform a full audit of Kentucky’s largest school district, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS).

As a result, she has requested state lawmakers to appropriate $1.5 million out of the 2024-26 state budget to do so. Ball told the House Standing Committee Appropriations & Revenue in January that busing issues and “significant findings” in the last audit a decade ago are appropriate reasons to examine the district.

"This is an unusual circumstance," Ball said. "It's not the kind of thing that we would typically do, as far as the magnitude of this type of review. I have asked them please put money in the budget specifically for this issue. Normally, the school districts themselves will pay for something like this, and I did not want to ask the school district to do this because one of things I'm trying to do is stretch dollars, make sure the most amount of money can go into the classroom."

"I've received good feedback from General Assembly. We'll see how it all comes down, but have asked for $1.5 million. That way, JCPS doesn't have to pay that cost; it's coming from the General Assembly. I think that's just a good use of those dollars right now."

You can watch the full In Focus Kentucky segment in the player above.