The Fayette school board abandoned a proposed increase in its occupational license tax, following public outcry over the decision — and instead formed a 31-member workgroup made up of community members, teachers, students, and others to fashion a new list of ideas.
At the end of their third and final meeting, the workgroup chose as its top suggestion a 2% reduction in what's known as the district's contingency fund, freeing up all by $2 million needed to fill the budget gap.
"Cut the contingency down, reduce it from 6% to 4%, which is still 100% greater than statutory requirement, reduce your maintenance costs by $1.7 million to $2 million, so we'll give you that recommendation," UK Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and panel member Eric Monday said during the meeting. "That balances your $16 million."
But even with the recommendations — which will go before the school board for consideration — longer-term concerns remain should the district fail to locate new sources of revenue. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that could include bigger class sizes, program cuts for English learners and struggling readers, and fewer support services.
Deputy Superintendent Houston Barber asked the budget workgroup to continue their involvement as the board looks beyond 2026.
"The work is not finished, and what I mean by that is we want your input, your support, in next steps as we work these long-term solutions, along with the short-term recommendations," he said.
The ten recommendations, from first to last:
- Reduce contingency by 2%
- Take the full $16 million out of the contingency fund
- Freeze any spending not contractually obligated
- Charge the district with making up the rest of the cuts from administration, not impacting teachers
- Continue with the program of attrition for administration
- Initiate a sponsorship program for particular programs, pieces of buildings, and private partnerships
- Reduce maintenance cost by $1.7 to $2 million
- Liquidation of real estate and other assets
- Reduce maintenance costs and increase lunch pricing
- Raise the OLT and let the long-term committee continue to work