For six weeks this summer, a giant Marty Pollio has loomed over I-65 south in downtown Louisville. Even bigger than the photo of the outgoing school superintendent was the message on the billboard: “Thank you, Dr. Pollio.”
Records obtained by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting reveal the 14×48 foot thank-you note to the former Jefferson County Public Schools official was paid for with funds from a $20 million gift — a gift leaders previously said they would spend on low-income students in west Louisville.
The billboard expense of $6,950 is a tiny fraction of the donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. But it prompted a review by the district’s internal auditor after KyCIR started asking questions. It’s also drawn criticism from the board chair about how a top district cabinet member decided to use a once-in-a-generation gift at a time when the board is facing $100 million in cuts over the next fiscal year, as millions in federal pandemic relief funding expire…