LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Demetrus Liggins answered questions about the district’s financial troubles and transparency concerns during a brief interview with WKYT’s Samantha Valentino, following a press conference at Mary E. Britton Middle School.
The interview came after months of canceled and denied requests for WKYT to speak with Liggins.
Investigation background
WKYT has been investigating the district’s finances for almost a year, including excessive spending on administrator travel. WKYT’s Samantha Valentino was first to raise questions about the legality of the board’s vote to raise the occupational license tax and to uncover that the district’s contingency was expected to be millions of dollars short of the 6% required by district policy.
[More WKYT Investigates FCPS coverage here]
Since July 15, when Liggins last sat down with WKYT, the district has canceled interviews, denied requests, and ignored media inquiries.
In September, the district canceled a scheduled appearance by Liggins on Kentucky Newsmakers with WKYT’s Bill Bryant just minutes before it was supposed to begin. Days later, he would not speak with WKYT at a public event despite being listed as having media availability.
Budget deficit details
Earlier this year, the district faced a $16 million budget deficit this year. The contingency was also $26.3 million instead of the initially projected $41 million.
Liggins previously said he was not as involved in finances as he could have been, something he wanted to change.
WKYT’s Samantha Valentino asked Liggins whether he believed he was lied to or information was intentionally withheld from him.
“It’s a large organization. I have lots of people that work in lots of departments that work on our budgeting and our finances etc., and so I think it was just a communication issue. It didn’t rise all the way to the top,” Liggins said.
Ongoing investigations
Liggins said there are several ongoing investigations into what happened, and the district has put systems in place to prevent it from happening again.
“I’m looking forward to just learning more about what occurred and how we can get better,” he said.
Lobbying firm cuts ties
Last week, lobbying firm Piper Smith publicly cut ties with the district, ending a contract that was set to run through June 2026. The firm said the move was necessitated by the district’s repeated struggles to provide accurate information to the firm, the press, and the general public.
“If the lobbying firm on your payroll says they can’t get accurate information, what’s your message to community members to get them to trust that you will give them that accurate information?” WKYT’s Samantha Valentino asked Liggins.
“All information that has been put out there, with the exception of our contingency fund, which was when we found it out, we shared it, and so no one has intentionally put out any bad information. I’m not exactly sure what Piper Smith is talking about,” he said.
Transparency claims
Liggins said the district has gone “above and beyond” to ensure transparency.
“I don’t know of any district that has put out more information than we have, and we’ll continue to do so. I’m more than happy to be as transparent as we possibly can be,” he said.
When asked about WKYT’s repeated attempts to schedule interviews, Liggins said he has a full schedule.
“I’m being very involved, a lot more than normal, in the day-to-day operations when it comes to our finances, when it comes to our budget, and so that’s a whole other level of responsibility that I’ve taken on,” he said. “I’m more than happy to speak to our media partners when time permits.”
Copyright 2025 WKYT. All rights reserved.