Board postpones vote on three consent items including proposed Liberty closures after community comment
Jefferson County Board of Education · December 10, 2025
Summary
The board agreed to remove and postpone consent items involving school relocations, consolidation of King Elementary and closure of Zachary Taylor, and proposed closures of Liberty Middle and High School, and asked Superintendent Yearwood to provide additional rationale and impact details by Dec. 23 for the Jan. 20 meeting. Community speakers, including a longtime Liberty advocate, urged the board to preserve Liberty High.
The Jefferson County Board of Education voted on Dec. 9 to revise its agenda and postpone several consent items — including proposed relocations and the planned closures of Liberty Middle and Liberty High — to the Jan. 20, 2026 meeting while seeking more information from the superintendent.
Chair announced the board would remove and postpone consent item Y (approval of relocating Georgia Chaffee [Tapp] to the Gaines Building and relocating Waller Williams environmental school to the current Georgia Chaffee location), consent item Z (consolidation of King Elementary and closure of Zachary Taylor Elementary School), and consent item AA (approval of school closures for Liberty Middle School and Liberty High School). Miss Lister moved to revise the agenda; Mr. Craig seconded the motion and the board approved the revision.
In connection with the postponement the board asked Superintendent Dr. Yearwood to provide additional written information to the board by Dec. 23 explaining the rationale for the postponed items (identified in the motion as XY, XZ and XAA), how displaced students would be accommodated at receiving schools with equal or better services, how relocations would meet or exceed current facilities and amenities, and how any renovation costs would be offset by anticipated budgetary savings. Board member Bass moved the request for supplemental information; Mr. Craig seconded and the motion passed.
Community speakers addressed the matter during public comment. Sandra Harris, who identified herself as having a 48-year history with JCPS and who helped plan Liberty High School in the 1990s, asked the board not to allow programs at Liberty to be dropped, describing the school’s mission and its history of serving students from across the district. The board did not take final action on closures at the meeting and scheduled further consideration for Jan. 20.
Other public commentators at the meeting raised related concerns including elementary start times and vendor contract timing; the board approved the consent calendar and moved on to other business before adjourning for the holiday recess.
The board’s request for additional materials includes a deadline of Dec. 23; the item will return for formal consideration on Jan. 20, 2026.
