LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- The school year may be nearing its end but questions surrounding the future of the Jefferson County Public Schools continue as Kentucky Department of Education Interim Commissioner Wayne Lewis is scheduled to make a visit to Kentucky's largest school district this coming Wednesday and Thursday to meet with school officials and board members.
The visit is part of the ongoing management audit examining possible issues with the district. The audit began under former Commissioner of Education Stephen Pruitt, who was placed by Lewis earlier this week.
School board members tell WHAS11 they are still learning the details about Lewis's visit, board member Linda Duncan wrote in a text, "It is a chance for us to tell him first hand of the way we were before the audit and now the differences we are experiencing under new leadership."
School board chairman Chris Brady responded to a phone call about the visit in a voicemail, telling WHAS11 he is looking forward to speaking with Lewis, just as he looks forward to visits from any member of the Kentucky Department of Education.
"I think that's always a concern any time there's change in leadership," JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said in an interview Thursday. "I think everybody in any situation knows many times, they have to establish what they've done."
Pollio said while there has been a change at the top, the people that have worked closely with JCPS through the audit and corrective action plan are still with the Department of Education.
"I'm confident that they have seen the progress that we've made, the collaboration that we've had with them, and then we'll share that as we move forward," he said.
According to KDE, Lewis has reviewed the results of the audit and will make a recommendation to the board for the state to either provide assistance to JCPS to correct problems in the district, for the state to take over management of the district or to do nothing at all.
Once Lewis makes his recommendation, KDE said the Jefferson County Board of Education will have 30 days to either ask for a formal hearing about the recommendation before the Kentucky Board of Education or to accept the recommendation. After that, the KBE will hold an open meeting to vote on either approving or rejecting the recommendation.
►Contact reporter Dennis Ting at dting@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@DennisJTing) and Facebook.