Gheens Academy
| Jefferson County Public Schools | |
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Louisville, KY United States |
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| District information | |
| Type | Public |
| Grades | Pre-K through 12 |
| Superintendent | Donna Hargens |
| Budget | $1.1 billion (2014–15 estimate) |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | over 101,000 |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is a public school district located in Jefferson County, Kentucky and operating all but one of the public schools in the county. It is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Education which selects and hires a Superintendent who serves as the system's chief executive.
JCPS operates 150 schools with more than 101,000 students, making it the 27th largest school district in the United States. In 2014–15 the system had a $1.1 billion budget and more than 18,000 employees. With a fleet of more than 1,500 vehicles, it operates one of the 10 largest transportation systems in the nation. Jefferson County's total population stands at approx. 760,000-by far the largest in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
The seven members of the Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) are elected by general election to four-year terms. Each board member is responsible for an area of Jefferson County and the schools contained therein. The Superintendent, Donna Hargens, serves as secretary to the board at all meetings. The current board members are (in order of district number) Diane Porter, Chris Kolb, Stephanie Horne, Benjamin M. Gies, Linda Duncan, Lisa Willner and Chris Brady.
The board was very proactive in year 2011 and into 2012 regarding the request for a curriculum management audit, and work on a much needed strategic plan. The results of the audit were published in January 2012. The board reviewed the report and with board support Hargens followed through on the recommendations. Year 2012 has proven to be a very active year. The Strategic Plan-Vision 2015 was approved by the board on May 29, 2012. The process beginning at a much needed board retreat in October 2011 resulted in this important document. In addition, in 2011 the board approved Board Operating Principles to improve board governance.
Public education in the Louisville area dates to 1829 and the beginning of the Louisville Public School District. In 1838 a separate county school system began operating. In 1975 the two systems were merged by court order.
On April 24, 1829, the City of Louisville established the first public schools for children under sixteen years of age. A board of trustees was selected, and Edward Mann Butler was selected as the first head. The first school began operation in the upper story of a Baptist church on the SW corner of Fifth and Green Streets (now Liberty Street). The next year, the first public school building in the Louisville Public School District was erected at Fifth and Walnut (now Muhammad Ali Blvd). This property was purchased from one of the trustees for $2,100. Though Louisville's charter called provided for the establishment of free schools, the school established at Fifth and Walnut charged primary grades $1.00 per quarter of instruction and all other grades $1.50. Tuition was waived if the trustees felt a child was unable to pay. Instruction was given using the Lancastrian system of teaching, wherein higher-level students taught the younger while the teacher and assistants supervised and instructed these higher-level students.
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