LOUISVILLE, Ky. — JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio spoke openly about the challenges the district faces at his second State of the District address Wednesday afternoon.
“Change is challenging but doing nothing is far worse,” Dr. Pollio said.
Dr. Pollio told a room full of JCPS staff and supporters that the way the district operates been the same since he began as a teacher 23 years ago.
“We need to take this district to the next level and make significant changes,” Dr. Pollio said.
He called for bold changes, including increasing student engagement, school choice for west end students, and improving infrastructure.
“Make no mistake, facilities matter,” Dr. Pollio said.
Dr. Pollio compared JCPS to Fayette County Public Schools, which has built eight schools in 12 years. In that time, JCPS opened one.
“Ask yourself, what message is that sending to our kids? Is it saying those cities care more about their children than we do?” said Dr. Pollio. “I don’t think it should.”
The physical school building, and the condition it is in, sends a message, according to Robert Frost Sixth-Grade Academy ELA Research Teacher Annie Holm.
“When you talk about a school, it is always about first impressions,” said Hohl. “So what makes the school is really the students and your admin and the teachers, all your certified staff. However, your first impression of a school is the outside, what you see, not the people.”
The JCPS Board of Education approved construction of four new schools and a renovation of the vacant third floor of The Academy at Shawnee in an effort to begin focus on modernizing school buildings.
“Our newest high school was built 50 years ago,” Board of Education Chair Diane Porter said.
Porter said this is the first opportunity to modernize buildings, and the district is making it a priority.
“Typically everybody likes something new and beautiful so its important to do that,” said Porter. “We can’t build all new schools, that we do proper renovations and make sure every school has everything we need for our students.”
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