Search begins for next Fayette County Public Schools superintendent

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) — The search for the next leader of Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) is officially underway, starting this week with the first legislative step to establish a state-mandated search committee.

Following a unanimous vote by the Fayette County Board of Education on August 17 to declare a superintendent vacancy, the district is launching the solicitation of nominations for the Superintendent Screening Committee.

“The participation and engagement of everyone in our community will play an important role in shaping our district’s next steps,” Fayette County Board of Education Chair Tyler Murphy said. “Throughout the process, there will be multiple opportunities to get involved, including helping to build a leadership profile, meeting finalists, and providing feedback to the school board.”

Screening Committee Structure

Kentucky law dictates the specific makeup of the Superintendent Screening Committee, which must include representatives from various district stakeholders:

• Two teachers/certified employees, elected by their certified peers (includes teachers, counselors, media specialists, assistant principals, and district administrators).
• One classified employee, elected by classified staff (includes hourly and salaried support personnel).
• One principal, elected by district principals (includes head principals and program directors).
• One parent or guardian, elected by the presidents of parent/teacher organizations (PTAs/PTSAs) from each school.
• One school board member, appointed directly by the board chair.

How to get involved: Nominations and voting

The nomination window for committee seats opens at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 26, and will close at noon on Wednesday, September 2.

All parents and guardians with students currently enrolled in FCPS are eligible to nominate themselves or another qualifying parent/guardian. District employees will also receive instructions on how to nominate themselves or a colleague within their respective employment categories.

Following the nomination period, voting will take place online from 8:00 a.m. on September 3 through 11:59 p.m. on September 9.

Community input and next steps

District officials emphasized that the screening committee is only the first phase of a broader public engagement effort. The school board plans to launch community-wide surveys and public listening sessions to gather feedback on what qualities and qualifications stakeholders want to see in the next superintendent.

“The entire community will have the opportunity to help create a leadership profile that will drive the search and screening process,” Murphy said. “We remain committed to keeping our focus on students, maintaining stability for our district, and ensuring our classrooms continue to foster success and achievement.”

The school board has established a dedicated portal to track the progress of the search. Updates, timelines, and meeting schedules will be posted at FCPS.net/search. Community members can also submit direct inquiries to superintendentsearch@fayette.kyschools.us.

According to the website a new superintendent would start July 1, 2027.