JCPS leaders accuse Yearwood of causing 'chaos' in central office | Exclusive
During a Jefferson County Board of Education meeting in January, roughly a dozen principals stood in unity, clapping as one after another relayed their concerns about the district's budgetary decisions. In the months leading up to the meeting, the district's financial state had drawn increased attention, as leaders spoke of impending insolvency and the pressing need to eliminate $188 million in expenses. Pushback over proposed cuts was expected. But the added problem, the principals argued, was how those selections were being determined.
"As principals, we are the leaders most equipped to speak to the needs of our students and staff, and we were not afforded a voice in this budget proposal until after it was written," Southern High Principal Sariena Sampson began her speech. Sampson spoke quickly, working hard to share her thoughts in the three-minute window she was given. She highlighted various challenges she and her colleagues have thoughtfully navigated and noted how Superintendent Brian Yearwood failed to attend multiple meetings with a committee of principals to discuss the budget before it was drafted.
"Why were school leaders not asked for input on a draft that gravely impacts our students?" she asked. "Why are we being told these proposed cuts won't impact classrooms when so many of the proposed cuts directly impact our classrooms?"
Before her microphone at the podium was cut off, she slipped in one last question: "As board members, do you feel that this process has been handled with the transparency and accuracy that you need to feel confident about your vote?"
In a district where multiple audits have noted a fear of retaliation often keeps employees quiet, the overt show of opposition by the ununionized group of principals was rare — though the district has not run as usual since Yearwood took the helm one year ago. Change was expected and even desired before Yearwood's tenure, but so was transparency. Since he began, JCPS has announced several decisions only to later rescind them, numerous top leaders have left and some employees have repeatedly voiced confusion about the direction JCPS is heading.
More than a dozen people who have worked or are working in top central office positions say the environment there has become toxic and morale is at an all-time low. They each spoke with The Courier Journal on the condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation from Yearwood or his personal assistant, who they say guides many of his decisions. Each described Yearwood's decision-making process as siloed — an issue under the former administration that, in part, caused a 2023 transportation disaster, when students were dropped off late into the night on the first day of school and the district canceled classes for the next week.
In addition to those interviews, The Courier Journal reviewed hundreds of emails between district leaders, reviewed personnel files and attended hours of meetings and events that collectively support the claims made by top officials. Central office, one former administrator said, has become a 'cesspool of dysfunction,' with staff growing to expect 'the unknown and the chaos.'
As repercussions from the cuts begin to play out, the employees now worry how students and staff will fare. One concern is that the problems in central office will trickle down into schools, particularly following a great loss of institutional knowledge from the system. Yearwood, however, believes he is correcting issues that existed long before he came to Louisville.
"As we enter a new school year, my priority remains focused on correcting systemic issues, strengthening operations, and rebuilding trust within JCPS," he wrote in response to questions from The Courier Journal. "That work is ongoing. We are currently improving communication systems, increasing cross-department collaboration, and implementing the state audit’s recommendations to make JCPS stronger and more transparent. Change is challenging, but it is necessary. I remain committed to building a central office culture that is professional, accountable, and entirely focused on improving student outcome."
A series of half-hearted decisions
Yearwood faced opposition before he even started his job. The majority of school board members approved hiring him despite results from three surveys that overwhelmingly urged them to hire a different finalist or reopen the search. The community narrative quickly shifted after Yearwood announced JCPS' revenue-to-expense ratio was far more off-balance than previously publicized. He discussed cutting duplicate expenses, downsizing central office and being more transparent about what JCPS was spending. This level of financial accountability in a city that regularly criticizes the district for its overspending was broadly welcomed.
Behind closed doors, though, Yearwood was rapidly losing faith from the team he inherited. A path forward seemed impossible, multiple past and current employees told The Courier Journal, as Yearwood failed to communicate with key leaders, leading him to repeatedly announce significant changes that he later rescinded. In September, hours after discussing plans to hire an accounting firm to assist in making necessary budget cuts, Yearwood changed his mind about the decision. At the time, people familiar with JCPS' budget disagreed over whether the district was facing insolvency, as well as about the actual size of the budget deficit — issues that could have received clarity from an audit. The district eventually hired an accounting firm, but by then, Yearwood said 85% of the needed cuts had already been identified.
In October, during a press conference, Yearwood said that despite proposed cuts, JCPS was 'not laying anyone off.' Shortly after, the district's communications team sent out a 'clarification,' indicating 'layoffs are not off the table.' Hundreds of jobs have since been eliminated. In November, a plan to change start times appeared seemingly out of nowhere. News of the proposal came out hours after JCPS leaders hosted a press conference without mentioning it, and one board member said she wasn't aware of the recommendation. Roughly 36 hours later, that plan was scratched.
"While the intent was to strengthen student learning conditions and improve operational efficiency, it is clear that more analysis and deeper engagement are necessary before moving forward," Yearwood said in a statement about withdrawing his proposal. JCPS superintendent accused of making big decisions in a silo
Krista Johnson shares how she reported a story on claims that JCPS Superintendent Brian Yearwood made big decisions without input from top leaders. In December, Yearwood also revised his school closure plan after receiving significant criticism. Four out of the five schools targeted in Yearwood's proposal were listed near the top of the district's Facility Profile Index, a new tool used to identify which schools might be ideal candidates for closure. Liberty High, an alternative school that specializes in helping students recover credits, was not on that list, but was targeted for closure. Chief Operations Officer Rob Fulk spearheaded the creation of the index. When asked how much closing Liberty would save, Fulk said he didn't know because his team didn't recommend its closure. Yearwood ultimately rescinded his proposal to close Liberty.
In January, Yearwood met with principals to provide a first glimpse of the 2026-27 draft budget. They quickly voiced concerns over the elimination of academic instructional coaches. Still, Yearwood defended the choice the next day in an interview with The Courier Journal. Two days later, he backtracked, saying instead of the instructional coaches, mental health practitioners would be cut — going against the results of a survey that overwhelmingly asked district leaders to prioritize protecting mental health supports in the next budget. Again, there was immediate backlash. And again, the district changed course. Privately, emails obtained by The Courier Journal reinforce the assertion that top officials were left in the dark regarding significant budget decisions impacting their departments.
Before she departed in October, former Chief Academic Officer Terra Greenwell emailed Yearwood about a lack of transparency around his budget cut suggestions, which she said were not student-centered. In a separate email, former Manager of Health Services Eva Stone said she learned of significant proposed cuts to her department through media reports. "I have not received any internal communication or specific details about what is included in this reduction, and I reached out today to request clarification," Stone wrote in January. "While I’ve been asked to share staffing numbers and how our team is structured, I have not been asked to share what students actually need or what nurses and nurse practitioners do every day to support students and schools. Given that there are no members of the district cabinet with a healthcare background, it is especially important that clinical expertise be part of decisions that directly affect student health and safety."
Yearwood's backtracking on decisions, in some ways, made it appear he is open to changing his mind in response to feedback. But it also shows Yearwood generally has not worked collaboratively and transparently, Jefferson County Teachers Association President Maddie Shepard said. "It's good Dr. Yearwood is willing to pivot and implement feedback after stakeholders give feedback, but real collaboration means stakeholders are a part of the design process from the beginning, not after the fact," Shepard said. Cabinet meetings, which are supposed to happen each week, regularly did not take place this past year, multiple current and former employees told The Courier Journal. And when they did, they repeatedly included '20-minute lectures on loyalty,' one top official said.
Yearwood characterized his meetings differently, though. "To ensure my decisions are not made in a vacuum, I meet regularly with my cabinet and other district administrators," Yearwood wrote in an email to The Courier Journal. "Effective leadership requires both strategy and practical execution, so my special advisor, project leaders, or specific staff members are frequently in these meetings to provide necessary context and prepare for immediate implementation."
No matter how the budget cuts were decided, Yearwood knew they would lead to adversities. "We made about $115 million in decisions that no one wanted to make," he previously told The Courier Journal. Additionally, he noted a constrained timeframe made the process far more challenging. "What other districts spend four to five years discussing, debating, studying, we accomplished in months," Yearwood said. Still, some employees feel the right cuts weren't made. "The overwhelming opinion of our members is that the recent round of budget cuts resulted in too many things being taken from kids and schools and not enough tightening from central office," Shepard said. "The budget crisis was an opportunity to address a longstanding problem JCTA has been talking about for years — too many administrative positions and not enough teaching positions, and that seems to have persisted."
The collective concern among current and former district leaders who spoke to The Courier Journal is that because Yearwood did not listen to their feedback, schools and students will face repercussions — an outcome that's happened before. In August 2023, when the district's new transportation plan failed, investigations later found several employees had warned the plan would not work, but they were ignored by those in control. An 'unbalanced influence' on Yearwood
Insiders who spoke to The Courier Journal say they believe Yearwood has discounted their voices in favor of listening to someone else. One of his first acts of business was to hire a special assistant. The person selected for that role was Lynn Reynolds, a Tennessee native who began working for JCPS in 2008. She started as a teacher before becoming a librarian and eventually oversaw the district's library media services department. As Yearwood's assistant, she began earning about $186,000 annually — the majority of which is paid for through a grant the previous administration said would go toward creating more equitable experiences for certain students. Yearwood was awarded the same salary as former Superintendent Marty Pollio: $350,000. Pollio did not have a special assistant. Multiple top central office employees told The Courier Journal they were confused by Reynolds' placement, pointing out she did not have central office experience and had not spent enough time in Frankfort to understand the political landscape that impacts JCPS. Regardless, Reynolds has become Yearwood's right hand. He does not conduct media interviews with The Courier Journal without her, and when he attended graduation ceremonies in May, she sat next to him on stage. Months into the special assistant job, Reynolds was given a promotion at the same time that several top leaders were demoted. In Yearwood's 'one-on-one' meetings with chiefs, Reynolds has been regularly present and led the conversations, which limits the chiefs' abilities to openly share matters with Yearwood, multiple district leaders told The Courier Journal. They also allege she has mistreated chiefs and other top administrators. Multiple current and former employees have claimed over the last seven months that Reynolds, not Yearwood, is actually running the district. One leader who remains with the district said Reynolds has 'unbalanced influence' over the superintendent, despite the fact that she 'has not led a school, has not led a zone of schools and she is guiding decisions based on her personal perspectives.' Yearwood again disagreed with the characterization. "I rely on the expertise of cabinet members and senior advisors, including Dr. Lynn Reynolds, whose role is to support coordination and follow-through across divisions," he wrote. "While she provides advice and counsel, Dr. Reynolds does not make decisions for me. No single individual does."
Reynolds did not respond to questions about her role in the system or allegations regarding her treatment of other employees. Leadership shakeup in JCPS
As Yearwood enters his second year, some have been troubled by the departure of so many top officials, as well as how new positions have been filled. Since Yearwood began, chiefs over six departments have left, as well as an executive administrator, two assistant superintendents and JCPS' top health official. Some resigned, some retired and some saw their positions demoted and either chose not to reapply or were not placed in another position. Additionally, two chief academic officers have resigned, and one board member gave up his seat months before his term was set to end. "When experienced leaders repeatedly leave an organization, it is fair to ask whether we are fostering an environment that encourages talented people to stay, grow and succeed," board Vice-Chair James Craig told The Courier Journal before he abruptly left office in June. When it came to filling newly created central office positions under Yearwood's broad reorganization, multiple people familiar with the process questioned its transparency. Only one supervisor, they said, was allowed to choose who to interview out of the applicant pool — flipping a practice that had always previously existed in order to ensure department heads would work well with their subordinates. They also claimed hiring committee members were pressured to make certain recommendations. The second chief academic officer to resign under Yearwood, Angela Hosch, served as chair of most of the hiring committees but 'was overruled on a bunch of the hires she wanted to make,' one leader who remains with the district said. Yearwood denied these claims. "Hiring processes for newly created positions follow procedures and final selections are made based on candidate qualifications and the needs of a reorganized JCPS," he wrote in an email to The Courier Journal. "In periods of significant structural change, it is natural that some colleagues may have differing views about specific decisions or my adjustments to standard practice. That tension is understandable, but it does not alter the fact that the superintendent is the final hiring authority under board policy."
Board members at odds over Yearwood's leadership
Despite the concerns from some of the district's top leaders, board members are seemingly happy with Yearwood's performance, giving him a positive first evaluation. In their comments, board members said Yearwood 'has exhibited the necessary skills to manage and direct the District during perhaps one of the most critical time in the District's history.' In responses to questions sent to each board member about the allegations and concerns voiced to The Courier Journal, member Linda Duncan acknowledged Yearwood has room for improvement but said the evaluation 'did not come close to recognizing what he has done for us this past year.' "He may need to fine tune his relationships with staff and other stakeholders, as recommended in his evaluation, but we owe him a big nod of approval for having stabilized JCPS and clarified our priorities," Duncan wrote. She also cast doubt on the credibility of district employees who chose to speak to The Courier Journal anonymously, saying they 'may have lost their positions or been forced to change their jobs.' "Do these people realize their jobs would have lasted one more year before the deficit caught up and devoured our entire fund balance?" she added. Duncan, nor any other board member, responded to questions regarding Reynolds' role in the district. But former member Craig said the overall concerns shared with The Courier Journal are 'consistent with feedback I was hearing throughout [Yearwood's] brief tenure,' which he believes other board members also received. Craig took issue with Yearwood's evaluation and questioned board members' overall honesty. "I disagreed with the outcomes of his evaluation," Craig said. "The final product does not appear to reflect any of the concerns I expressed during the evaluation process." "They seem to be defending their own decision," he continued. "Because they chose Yearwood, they are inclined to ignore the uniform criticism, and they seem dug in to defend him based exclusively on the fact that they chose to hire him in the summer of 2025."
Krista Johnson covers education and children. Have story ideas or questions? Contact her at kjohnson3@gannett.com and subscribe to her newsletter. This story is part of The Courier Journal's broader effort to produce solutions-oriented, community-driven reporting on education in Kentucky. Through in-depth, accountability-focused journalism, we aim to inform parents, educators and community members about the issues shaping students' lives. Learn more about how you can support this work at givebutter.com/cj-giving. Donations to advance education reporting in Louisville are possible through a partnership with Journalism Funding Partners (JFP), a verified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax ID #84-2968843) and EnMotive Company, LLC, a subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the parent company of this publication.
