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Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) Superintendent Donna Hargens announced on Friday that she will recommend no increase to the tax rate for the 2015-16 fiscal year. This will be the second consecutive year that Dr. Hargens has recommended no increase to the tax rate.
Hargens’ recommendation is that the rate remains 71 cents on real property and 71 cents on personal property—the same rate for 2013-14 and 2014-15 fiscal years. This would be the same tax rate for three years.
“Revenue raised using the existing rate will allow the district to balance the budget and continue to provide our students with a quality instructional program and resources,” Hargens said. “Taxpayers should know we are grateful for their investments in children.”
A public hearing to discuss Hargens’ tax rate recommendation will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, at VanHoose Education Center. The Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) passed the 2015-16 tentative budget in May. The JCBE will vote on the working budget—the last of the three-part process—in September. School boards in surrounding counties will all review tax rates in the coming weeks. Last year, the 71-cent rate was lower than Fayette, Nelson, Shelby, and Oldham Counties.
The budget sends more money back to schools where students will directly benefit with quality instruction, new opportunities, and additional resources. Next week, the district will open Alex R. Kennedy Elementary in Jeffersontown along with two K-8 Schools of Innovation at Maupin Elementary and Atkinson Academy. A new Early Childhood center in Smoketown will help more children receive early instruction to prepare them for success in kindergarten. This year, all JCPS employees also received at least a 2 percent raise, which was mandated by the state.
JCPS continues to invest more in schools while reducing central services costs.
The first day of school is quickly approaching for some area students. Students in some districts have even already started school. JCPS students sill have some more time off, with classes beginning mid-August.
Check the list below to see when your student heads back to class.
SOUTH HARRISON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: July 28
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF INDIANA: July 28
NEW ALBANY-FLOYD COUNTY SCHOOLS: July 29
WEST CLARK COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: July 29
CLARKSVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: July 30
FORT KNOX INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS: August 3
NELSON COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 5
HARDIN COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 5
CAMPBELLSVILLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS: August 5
ELIZABETHTOWN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS: August 5
HENRY COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 5
SCOTT COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 5
NORTH HARRISON COMMUNTIY SCHOOLS: August 5
MEADE COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 6
WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 6
GRAYSON COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 11
CARROLL COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 12
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF LOUISVILLE: August 12
TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL: August 12
JCPS: August 12
BULLITT COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 12
SPENCER COUNTY SCHOOL: August 12
TRIMBLE COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 12
SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 12
JEFFERSON COUNTY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: August 19
OLDHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS: August 19
KENTUCKY COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL: August 20
Colleges/Universities:
JEFFERSON COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE: Aug. 17
BELLARMINE UNIVERSITY: August 20
INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST: August 24
IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE-Sellersburg: August 24
SPALDING UNIVERSITY: August 24
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE: August 24
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY: August 26
HANOVER COLLEGE: September 7
SPENCERIAN COLLEGE: September 28
SULLIVAN UNIVERSITY: September 28
STRAYER UNIVERSITY: October 5
Scott Quisenberry, a Jefferson County Public School teacher, was convicted on three counts of rape and four counts of sodomy earlier this week. The jury originally recommended a 60 year sentence for his crimes, but the Judge, Audra Eckerle, noted that the maximum Quisenberry could be sentenced to is 20 years. The jury later recommended 15 years.
Judge Eckerle will formally sentence Quisenberry on September 14, 2015 at 2 P.M. Quisenberry is currently being held at Louisville Metro Corrections on a $75,000 cash bond.
Jefferson County Public Schools bus #0842 was involved in a multi-vehicle crash this morning, sending 18 to the hospital.
Around 8:20 a.m. today the bus, carrying 36 students, was rear-ended by a semi truck at Cane Run Road and Clarinet Drive before the bus, in-turn, collided with the back of a Shively police vehicle. Uninjured students were taken to the bus’s destination of the Lees Lane Bus Compound while 18 people, including the driver of bus 0842, were transported to area hospitals.
Twelve students were taken to Kosair Children’s Hospital while five students and the driver of the bus were taken to Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital.
Today is the first day of school for JCPS students throughout the metro area.
Nearly 100,000 students will be headed back to school throughout Jefferson County today as the 2014-2015 school year begins for JCPS. Almost 70,000 of those students will be transported by the 975 buses that will be on the road starting today. School officials stress that parents should be patient as the new school year, complete with some route changes, gets rolling and expect their children to arrive up to 30 minutes later than they might usually get home. Parents or students with questions can call the transportation hotline at 485-RIDE.
Drivers throughout the metro area should exercise caution, watching for children walking to school, and boarding or exiting school buses. With the large number of buses on the streets, drivers may want to plan their routes ahead of time. Live traffic conditions and drive times are available on the Louisville Dispatch traffic page.
More than a dozen students are being treated after complaining of minor injuries following a JCPS bus accident downtown.
Bus 0155, carrying 27 students, was struck by a car that police say ran a red light in front of the bus two blocks west of Dixie Highway at 22nd and Oak Streets. The accident happened just before 8:30 AM today as the bus was traveling to Hawthorne Elementary School.
