# FCPS Board accepts Liggins' retirement, affirms Bradford as interim leader **Published:** 2026-08-18T12:35:44.000Z **Source:** [FCPS Board of Education Meetings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qzkbBNLZgQ) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/fcps-board-accepts-liggins-retirement-affirms-bradford-as-interim-leader LEXINGTON, Ky. — [The Fayette County Public Schools Board of Education accepted Superintendent Demetrus Liggins' retirement on August 17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qzkbBNLZgQ) and affirmed Dr. Bill Bradford as interim superintendent, formally closing a turbulent chapter that has been marked by a crippling budget crisis and widespread calls for accountability. [The board voted unanimously to accept Liggins' retirement, effective immediately](https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/08/18/fcps-accepts-liggins-retirement), in a meeting where dozens of community members voiced frustration over [a multimillion-dollar deficit driven by years of weak governance and inaccurate financial reporting](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08/13/wall-street-slashes-fayette-county-schools-credit-rating-warns-17m-deficit-over-inaccurate-reporting/). The board also approved the 2026-27 working budget after lifting and amending several consent agenda items related to portable classroom renewals and adding action items for the board's oversight. Additionally, the board acknowledged receipt of [a Weaver report detailing findings from an independent audit of the district's budget processes and expenditures](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08/03/fayette-county-school-district-end-fiscal-year-deficit-board-meets-tonight/). [Moody's Ratings this month downgraded the district's credit rating to Baa1 from A3 and placed a negative outlook on the district](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08/13/wall-street-slashes-fayette-county-schools-credit-rating-warns-17m-deficit-over-inaccurate-reporting/), citing structural imbalances and the lingering effects of past financial mismanagement. [The agency warned that district reserves will likely remain near zero or negative through 2027](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08/13/wall-street-slashes-fayette-county-schools-credit-rating-warns-17m-deficit-over-inaccurate-reporting/). During public comment, [several community members called for resignations from Board Chair Tyler Murphy and Vice Chair Amy Green, claiming they failed to adequately oversee the superintendent](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08-18/fcps-holds-briefing-after-board-accepts-superintendents-retirement/). One speaker cited the elimination of 120 positions, cuts of $20 million from the budget, frozen school budgets, and lost workdays as consequences of the financial crisis. Another speaker presented a proposal to rename the district's corrective action plan to emphasize governance failures alongside fiscal recovery. [Board Chair Murphy said a search committee for the next superintendent must be formed within 30 days](https://www.wuky.org/wuky-news/2026-08-17/fayette-county-school-leaders-accept-liggins-retirement-set-about-the-work-of-regaining-lost-trust/) and will include community members and district staff. In his superintendent's report, Dr. Bradford highlighted the district's preparation for the 2026-27 school year, noting that more than 6,500 staff members participated in 460 professional learning sessions before the first day of school on August 12. The district is enrolling more than 39,000 students and has served nearly 92,000 meals in the first three days of the school year. ## Sources - [FCPS Board of Education Meetings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qzkbBNLZgQ) - [FCPS accepts Liggins' retirement amid finance scrutiny](https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2026/08/18/fcps-accepts-liggins-retirement) - [Wall Street slashes Fayette County Schools' credit rating](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08/13/wall-street-slashes-fayette-county-schools-credit-rating-warns-17m-deficit-over-inaccurate-reporting/) - [Independent firm reveals findings of FCPS audit](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/08/03/fayette-county-school-district-end-fiscal-year-deficit-board-meets-tonight/) - [Fayette County school leaders accept Liggins' retirement, set about the work of regaining lost trust](https://www.wuky.org/wuky-news/2026-08-17/fayette-county-school-leaders-accept-liggins-retirement-set-about-the-work-of-regaining-lost-trust) - [FCPS Board of Education agendas & records](https://www.fcps.net/about/board-of-education/agendas-records) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from FCPS Board of Education Meetings, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qzkbBNLZgQ.