JCPS board announces temporary district assignments under new state law

LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) — The Jefferson County Public Schools Board of Education announced Tuesday which members will temporarily represent the newly redrawn districts under recently passed Senate Bill 4.

Under SB4, all JCPS board seats will be up for election this November — regardless of when members were last elected. The law also reduces the board from seven members to five and redraws board districts for the 2026 election.

The temporary district assignments were made after board members in overlapping districts drew lots during the meeting.

Here are the new assignments, which will remain in place until the November election:

District 1: Tricia Lister
District 2: Corrie Shull
District 3: James Craig
District 4: Trevin Bass
District 5: Gail Logan Strange

Members Taylor Everett and Linda Duncan also remain on the board in at-large positions.

Lister does not agree with how the new lines were drawn.

“This just gerrymandered away the one majority-minority seat that was on this board,” Lister said.

In response to Lister's claim, JCPS Superintendent Brian Yearwood said his focus remains on supporting students regardless of the board’s new structure.

“I believe that the boundaries as they're set will allow us to have, yes, a reduction in board members, but for me what's most important is that focus on the 94,000 students in our district," Yearwood said. "And that, for me, I will be working with a board whether it's 7 or 5 to continue that process of addressing the needs of our students. That's my greatest focus right now."

All current terms on the board will expire at the end of this year. Winners in Districts 4 and 5 will serve two-year terms, while winners in Districts 1, 2 and 3 will serve four-year terms. Those members will take office in January 2027.