Wednesday morning the head of Fayette County Public Schools gave his assessment of the district as students and faculty prepare to return to the classroom.
Teachers, administrators, parents and city leaders filled the Bluegrass Ballroom to hear FCPS Superintendent Manny Caulk give his second annual State of the Schools address. He covered the high-lights of the district and some areas to strive for improvement. Afterward, when asked to rate overall performance, Caulk said he didn’t give grades but that he felt things were going in the right direction.
He said safety will continue to be a top priority. The school board voted in favor of a property tax increase that averages about $80 more per resident to help pay for a list of new safety measures. That decision may be in the hands of voters depending on the status of a petition that’s now being signed asking that the measure be put on the ballot this November. When school starts in two weeks, Caulk said things will run much like they did at the end of the last school year.
On the positive end, Caulk touched on the successes of the new Academy systems set up at several Fayette County High Schools, most of them focusing on STEM subjects and future careers in the field. He also said desperately needed renovations at several high schools were on track with the most recent released project list.