LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Today, Jefferson County Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the country.
Though JCPS as we know it started in the 1970's, with the city-county merger, its roots can be traced back all the way to the 1800's.
Saving that history, and the lessons it teaches, falls to a little known district department – the JCPS Archives.
JCPS archivist Jim Cundy heads it up with his team.
They keep track of thousands of boxes of district documents, as well as physical historical items like trophies and yearbooks.
“It tells a story, it tells a story of JCPS,” Cundy said. “This is our job. This is what we do. Schools aren't archives.”
The archives allow Cundy and his team to document district history. People in the community are also able to use them for reference and research.
Their records trace back to the early 1800's.
Cundy said among the stash of treasures, yearbooks are the most popular request from visitors and researchers.
The archives are also comprised of about 18,000 boxes of records like student transcripts, employee files and meeting minutes.
“There are very few districts of our size that have an archives this robust,” Cundy said.
Cundy said state law requires records be kept in hard copy for a certain number of years.
When he arrived at the JCPS archives in 2019, they were several years behind in shredding outdated documents. The team spent a large portion of his tenure catching up and organizing files.
The records are carefully catalogued, ready when people come hunting for history.
“The most grateful customers we've had are those that we've provided that information, they say ‘I didn't know that about my mother or father,’” Cundy said.
Like any good collection, the archives are never complete.
For example, the district is still missing a Central High School yearbook for Muhammad Ali.
To fill in the gaps, Cundy turns to schools and alums who contribute documents, yearbooks and memorabilia.
“Even if it turns out to not be something we can use I say yes because you never know,” he said.
By documenting history in the district, Cundy said you also document changes in the district’s history.
“We're helping the district to maintain its identity,” he said. “To know who we are, to know how we got here, and ideally to help see what's ahead.”
Cundy noted JCPS is at a time of great change, citing the student assignment overhaul as one example of a major milestone.
He said the community has much to learn from the history buried in the archives.
“The future doesn't come from nowhere it comes from what's already been,” he said.
You can find information about donating historical materials here.
You can also find out how to access specific archives and resources here.
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