Board Buzz

We provide this recap of our school board meetings as part of our commitment to providing timely updates for students, families, staff, and the community.

Superintendent Demetrus Liggins opened with special thanks during School Board Recognition Month. "Your service plays a crucial role in building Lexington for future generations," he told the board members. "Thank you for focusing on our students."

A dozen community supporters lined up to praise the board, leading off with Mayor Linda Gorton. "We in the city so appreciate our partnerships with you all," she said before reading a proclamation (see PDF below). Board Chair Tyler Murphy echoed Gorton's sentiments, adding, "We are fortunate in Fayette County Public Schools that our village happens to be Lexington, Kentucky, because we have a community that really cares about public education."

Also saluting the board:

• Bob Quick of Commerce Lexington;
• Abdul Muhammad, Fayette Education Foundation;
• Kathy Smiley, 16th District PTA;
• Chris Sanders, Everybody Counts;
• Kim Sweazy, Toyota Motor Manufacturing;
• Jessica Hiler, Fayette County Education Association, with Dorian Hairston (behavioral coach at Veterans Park Elementary) who read a poem he wrote for the occasion (see PDF below);
• Barbara Priest, Fayette County Education Support Professionals Association;
• Annissa Franklin, Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County;
  
• Marshall Fields, Legacy Equine Academy; and
  
• Michelle Moore and Keyla Sanchez Zurita, students at Bryan Station High School.

Shortly before the meeting, the board enjoyed dinner from Bourbon n' Toulouse provided by the 16th District PTA. They also viewed a video from our Creative Media Productions team, highlighting board initiatives and FCPS progress of the past year under their leadership (see video below).

In addition, Chief Middle Schools Leadership Officer Bill Bradford led a ceremonial swearing-in for recently appointed Board Member Jason Moore.

Construction Updates:

Chief Operating Officer Myron Thompson shared highlights of the monthly construction progress report, including the latest at our new middle school in the Hamburg area and the CTE project downtown.

• View the Construction/Renovation Report

The board approved several items on its consent agenda, including schematic design documents for construction of the Rise STEM Academy for Girls.

On the action agenda, board members approved the monthly financial report.

Informational Items:

Staff from Child Nutrition and Health Services shared community feedback on the district's annual Wellness Report Card, including suggestions about school breakfasts.

The night's video performance featured Carter G. Woodson Academy's 8th grade percussion ensemble from Justin Balcor's World Music Class, which presented "Wali" from Guinea in West Africa. The piece is part of a larger, Sub-Saharan African drumming repertoire Balcor is building among the middle school students. Their efforts are a direct result of the board's investment in the fine arts, which supports staff and student artists, performers, and dreamers. "The students never cease to impress and amaze us," said board Chair Tyler Murphy.

One member of the community, Kevin Haggerty, spoke about an issue not on the agenda.

The public is welcome to attend planning sessions and action meetings in person at the John D. Price Administration Building, 450 Park Place. The monthly action meetings are also livestreamed on the FCPS YouTube channel and the district's Video on Demand service.

• Review: Skim the Jan. 22 action agenda.
• Minutes: The official minutes are posted later, within the agenda of the next board meeting.
• Board Buzz: If you do not already receive our recap emails, you can sign up now.
• Online: Or you can read each Board Buzz in the News feed on our district's homepage (FCPS.net).
• YouTube: Videos of the action meetings are archived in a YouTube playlist.