More than 150 people turned out for the look back at a year of progress since the 2014 audit of Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS). “The JCPS audit was the largest audit ever done by the Kentucky Auditor’s office,” said Auditor Adam Edelen.

The event featured a panel discussion on May 21 at Gheens Academy. The panel, which featured Kentucky Auditor Adam Edelen, JCPS Superintendent Donna Hargens, JCPS Board Chair David Jones, Jr., and Business Leaders for Education Chair Roger Cude, discussed the future of JCPS and was moderated by GLI President & CEO Kent Oyler.

Also in attendance was the Kentucky State Education Commissioner, Terry Holliday, who applauded the collaboration and urgency of JCPS and the business community. Parents in the audience participated in the Q & A portion with one parent saying “I choose JCPS.”

“A great city deserves a great school system, said JCPS Superintendent Donna Hargens. “One of the characteristics of a great school system is having a demanding community.” The yearlong audit released in 2014 compared JCPS to five other school districts across the country. State auditors spent the year examining the school system, which serves more than 100,000 students. Auditor Adam Edelen concluded that the district spent most on administrative costs and among the least on instruction. The audit was conducted at the school board’s request.

The May 21 event was part of the Issues & Influencers program. The series looks at the intersection of politics, policy, and business regarding the most pressing issues of the day. Attendees will be offered an inside look at the working of government and the political system and have the opportunity to ask questions of some of the foremost professionals in and around the issues.

For news coverage of the event, please visit – Courier-Journal, Business First , WAVE or to watch the entire Issues and Influencers program, click here.

For more information on GLI’s Advocacy efforts, please contact Sarah Davasher-Wisdom at 502.625.0073 or sdavasher@greaterlouisville.com