For months, leaders of Kentucky’s largest school system have floated the idea that they may need to find ways to increase revenue in order to keep up with the rising costs of services and offer employees higher salaries — including potentially seeking a tax increase.
Jefferson County Public Schools — with roughly 96,000 students, about 17,000 employees and more than 200 properties — has a $2.3 billion budget. After making $100 million in cuts in the 2025-2026 budget, leaders still need to cut at least $88 million from the following year’s budget in order to inch closer to the amount of money JCPS actually receives.
In doing this, the budget will be both balanced and responsible, Chief Financial Officer Eddie Muns said, but it will not leave room for salary hikes — something Jefferson County Board of Education members said they are intent on providing in order to be competitive in a market that’s faced a yearslong teacher shortage…