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JCPS Board Backs $142 Million Draft Cuts, Closes Two Elementary Schools

The vote advances a $142 million draft built on central-office reductions, with key details pending a February line-item decision.

Overview

  • Funding for mental-health practitioners was preserved in a 5–2 vote as district-level funding for instructional coaches was removed after a motion by Vice Chair James Craig.
  • The draft plan targets roughly 300 central-office positions and reorganizes leadership, including reducing the superintendent’s cabinet from 13 chiefs to 7.
  • King and Zachary Taylor elementary schools will close, and affected families receive priority in school choice and magnet applications, with transition committees to assist them.
  • Liberty High School will be relocated under the plan, and the district outlined cut categories that total about $142 million, including $44 million from central office and $30 million tied to ongoing union negotiations.
  • A line-by-line list of central-office eliminations is expected for a Feb. 10 vote, a tentative budget is slated for May, and the cuts seek to address a projected $188 million shortfall for 2026–27 with a $10 million contingency.