The Board Brief | September 22, 2025
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Helpful Highlights
- The Board of Education held a special called meeting before the regular board meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to work with the Studer Company to give their opinions on the strategic vision and plan for the next 10 years.
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During the regular meeting, the board had two recognitions. The board first recognized WEEF (Woodford Educational Endowment Fund) for their continued service to our students and their partnership over the years. WEEF has funded many experiences for our students, including recently history students and drama students to see The Crucible at The Woodford Theatre. WEEF will be sending other grades on experiences throughout the year. WEEF also sponsors mini grants for classroom teachers in the district to fund projects that are not already funded. This is an application process available to any classroom teacher in Woodford County Public Schools.
- The board also recognized Mrs. Sara Swinford on being named the Kentucky Association of School Social Work School Social Worker of the Year. Mrs. Swinford is the School Social Worker at the middle school and has worked for the district for nearly two decades. She provides counseling, crisis intervention, and helpful resources to students every day. She advocates for students and removes barriers to help them find success. Congratulations, Mrs. Swinford.
- Mr. Ryan Asher, WCPS Chief Academic Officer, presented on two new initiatives for the district: an accreditation through Cognia, which is a non-profit organization specializing in the advancement of schools and learning, and a certification based in Competency Based Education (CBE). This type of certification is rooted in the positive, tangible impact of the Portrait of a Learner. Woodford County Public Schools is the first district in Kentucky to pursue a certification of this type! You can find more information here.
- The board had the pleasure of hearing from Simmons Elementary after-school choir, “Simmons Soul”. The choir, under the direction of Mrs. Charlotte Tribbett, sang two songs for the board. It was a wonderful performance.
- Mr. Joe Albert, principal of Simmons Elementary, shared his update on the culture Simmons and his staff has created over the last four years under his leadership. You can find his presentation here.
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Superintendent's Report
During the Superintendent’s report, Dr. Jones shared her activities throughout the last month. Dr. Jones spent time this month in the community and working with community members. Some of the highlights for this month included the ribbon cutting for the new high school athletic field, the Southside/Versailles City flag ceremony, and her presentation to the city and county through the State of the City and County event hosted by the Chamber. Dr. Jones also shared her commitment to rounding with the staff. She has a goal to round with each staff member of Woodford County Public Schools.
Dr. Jones reminded everyone of the upcoming budget committee meeting and who was serving on the committee. The committee members will be Logan Nance, Dr. Michael Cabell, Don Offutt, Shelby Rodman, Ryan Wilson, Dr. Josh Rayburn, Shane Smith, Tim Hockensmith, and Joe Belford. The budget committee will meet to review the budget and make proposals to the board over the next several months. The budget committee will meet on September 25, 2025 at 4:00 P.M. at the Woodford County Board of Education Central Office.
View the presentation for more information.
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The Consent Agenda was approved, which included:
- Donations from several individuals and organizations for FFA and student of the month signs for Northside. We appreciate the continued support of donations to our schools and programs.
- Travel approval for student travel for different student organizations. The board approves all travel requests for students and staff that are out-of-state and overnight travel. The board’s approval starts the process for the student organizations to begin the process of their trip request. Travel for staff was approved for required in state trainings and conferences. A few travel requests were approved for out-of state travel for staff. These travel requests were funded through various grants, including Title funding, not the general fund.
- The Certified Evaluation Plan Appeals Committee was approved to include the two members and alternative members: Rebeca Preston and Josh Rayburn. Alternative members: Sandra Southworth and Scott Hundley. The chair will be Susan Tracy.
Regular Agenda Items:
The board voted to table the two High School Change Orders to get further clarification related to the spring in front of the school and the additional student parking. The board requested additional quotes for the student parking that would be placed in the back of the current student parking. This will increase the parking by 100 parking spots. Mr. Reed, principal of WCHS, shared a presentation about the increased need due to the driving requirements changing to reduce the permit and intermediate ages for new drivers and additional event parking. The board did not approve these change orders but requested further information be provided before making a decision.
The board approved the emergency reading of the Toilet Training Policy to support our students who need additional assistance. This policy will not impact preschool students or any students with special needs. This policy went into effect after the board approved it.
The board approved the calendar committee to review the 26-27 school year calendar. The committee will consist of: Logan Culbertson, Garet Wells, Ambrose Wilson, Amy Nickerson, Heather Maxwell, Sarah Houston, Tracy Probst, Kristina Brookshire, Carla Bus, Rebecca Lowe, Emily Downey, and a student representative.
The board approved the creation of stipend positions for Middle School Cross County coaching positions. This will allow for the coaching positions to be posted and hired with a stipend instead of a volunteer position. These positions did not exist before this board meeting. The positions approved have a financial impact of $5,000 total depending on the positions hired and experience.
The board had discussions on the 2025-2026 school year Working Budget. This budget has been adjusted to reflect the board tax rate. The working budget is a continuation of the budget process for the school district and is due to KDE by September 30, 2025. The board voted to approve the working budget with recognition that some things are needing to change for the future. The budget process starts in January with a draft budget. The next step is the tentative budget, which is due in May to KDE. The tentative budget is where the projections for SEEK and other estimates are included. KDE does not provide this information until after the General Assembly concludes, around the middle of April. The final working budget is due in September after the board votes on the tax rate. You can find more information on the district’s Budget Transparency tab on the district website. The district, under the direction of Dr. Jones, is committed to reviewing the budget process, staffing allocations at all levels (including central office), reviewing surrounding districts and similar sized districts for staffing formulas and school funding allocations, and making the necessary recommendations to the board to have a balanced budget in the future that reflects the student-centered strategic vision of the district. The first budget committee will meet on September 25, 2025 at 4:00 P.M. at the Woodford County Board of Education Central Office.
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Need More Details:
The Board Briefs are posted in the News section on our district's homepage. For more information about the latest meeting:
Next Regular Board Meeting:
Monday, October 27, 2025
6:00 P.M.
180 Frankfort St., Versailles, KY 40383
Board meetings are subject to change. Please check the district calendar on the website for up-to-date information
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