LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Fayette County Public Schools leaders are implementing new measures to address ongoing financial concerns, including the creation of a streamlined budget committee to replace the current oversight group.
Deputy Superintendent Houston Barber presented the proposal during Monday night’s school board meeting, outlining plans for a more focused approach to financial oversight.
New Committee Structure
The proposed committee would significantly reduce the current 18-member Budget and Finance Committee to just nine voting members. According to Barber, this smaller group would make “independent and data-informed recommendations to the superintendent.”
“The present Budget and Finance Committee meets probably once monthly, starting in December, up until about March,” Barber explained during the meeting. “You’ll see the proposal this evening, which will be a more frequent meeting times and opportunities to review what’s happening and to provide support to the board.”
The current committee, Barber noted, is “heavily laden with staff members,” suggesting the new structure would provide more independent oversight.
Transparency Commitments
Under the new proposal, all committee activities would be conducted with full transparency.
“All reports and recommendations would be shared publicly, no matter any report that was used, discussed,” Barber said. “And again, the staff would support what’s happening and provide these type of reports or data so that every committee member has the appropriate information to make decisions.”
Multiple Audits Underway
The committee restructuring comes as FCPS faces scrutiny from multiple directions:
- Internal investigation: The district is moving forward with its own internal investigation of spending practices
- State investigation: The state auditor is conducting a separate investigation into the district’s finances
- External audit: Plans for an additional external audit are under consideration
Audit Approval Delayed
The school board was scheduled to discuss the external audit during Monday’s meeting, but the item was postponed due to federal delays related to Veterans Day and government operations. The discussion will now take place at the November action meeting, with likely approval expected during the December planning meeting.
State Auditor’s Concerns
State Auditor Allison Ball raised questions about the district’s approach to financial oversight in a letter to district leaders. Ball expressed concern that FCPS paying for its own financial audit could undermine their case against wasteful spending.
Ball warned that the General Assembly likely wouldn’t pay for the state’s audit if the district is paying for the same work out of pocket, suggesting the dual approach could be seen as redundant or inefficient.
What’s Next
If approved, the restructured committee would begin meeting more frequently than the current schedule, providing ongoing oversight of district finances as multiple audits proceed.
Have a tip for WKYT Investigates? Send it to investigates@wkyt.com
Copyright 2025 WKYT. All rights reserved.