LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) held its State of the District address Tuesday at the Olmsted in Louisville. Superintendent Marty Pollio discussed the district's work and challenges over the last year while responding to lawmakers in Frankfort who are calling for audits of the Commonwealth's largest district. 

What You Need To Know

  • Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio gave his State of the District address Tuesday 

  • He discussed what the district is working on and challenges it faces 

  • Pollio highlighted access to technology and a new literacy curriculum

  • Teacher and bus driver shortages remain a challenge for the district 

Pollio spent most of his address on what he’s learned from being superintendent and the district's recent work, such as striving for more equity. 

"Students who have the least amount of resources in their home need to have the most amount of resources in their school," Pollio said. "That should be a fundamental thing in the United States of America." 

He also highlighted that students now have the same technology across the district. Literacy curriculums were also made the same district-wide, and new schools were built, with the goal of building 20 new schools in the next decade.

“When they have a facility like this, this beautiful facility at Perry Elementary School, the first school built in West Louisville this century, you get to see lots of our kids say, 'Yes, this community values us and cares about our education,'" he said.

He also addressed some challenges the district is facing, including the achievement gap, teacher shortages and bus driver shortages. Ten years ago, Pollio said the district had more than 950 drivers; however, it has about 550 right now. 

"We are going to have to make tough choices; none of those choices have great answers and might have unintended consequences with them," Pollio said. "We are going to have to make the tough decisions because there's only two things we can do: increase drivers or decrease routes." 

Meanwhile, state lawmakers are proposing a task force that would look into breaking up the district, a move Pollio called “damaging." 

"Splitting up the district is not the answer," he said. "I would challenge the legislators this: if that is what you want to have, a commission to study JCPS, make sure it's well-represented for the people that will have the impact of this decision." 

Pollio also said he is not afraid of audits the district faces. Over his seven years as superintendent, there have been six audits of the district. The most recent began last year.

The Kentucky Department of Education is completing a district diagnostic review, which looks into administrator pay, transportation issues, guns in schools and academic performance.

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