Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) will operate under a newly formed five‑member board starting in January. Only two of the seven current members earned seats on the restructured board, while three fresh faces were elected on Tuesday.
Elected Members and Endorsements
The newly elected board members are:
- District 1 – Gail Strange
- District 2 – Lillian Brents
- District 3 – Taylor Everett
- District 4 – Deja Jackson
- District 5 – Kyle Killebrew
All five candidates received endorsements from the Jefferson County Teachers Association (JCTA), which contributed more than $621,435 to their campaigns, according to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
Board Priorities and Concerns
Kyle Killebrew, the newest member, said, “I think all five of us are ready to get to work.” He warned that projected budget shortfalls for 2027 will likely force cuts, noting, “There’s going to be schools that they’re already understaffed in, they’re under‑enrolled, and those are going to be looked at.”
Incumbent Taylor Everett, first elected two years ago, expressed optimism about the smaller board’s efficiency. “There’s a lot of big things we got to do, and I do not want to be waiting around to do them,” he said, adding that the streamlined board should expedite policy decisions and the draft budget in January.
Political Context
The board’s transition coincides with recent Republican losses in Jefferson County, including several seats in the Kentucky General Assembly that flipped to Democrats. Everett voiced concern about how the shift may affect the district’s relationship with state lawmakers who previously held a supermajority. “I’m a little worried,” he said. “We’re now going to have to really make relationships with people that aren’t from Louisville and really don’t know JCPS that will be passing laws that’ll be impacting the district.”
Next Steps
The current board is slated to meet for the last time on Dec. 15. At an upcoming meeting, they will set the date for the new board’s inaugural session on Jan. 5, when members will be sworn in and select a chair.
Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.
