A heartfelt endorsement from the parents and taxpayers of Lexington, Kentucky Dear Hazelwood School District, Congratulations! Word has reached us here in the Bluegrass State that Dr. Demetrus Liggins, our beloved Superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools, is a finalist for your open superintendent position. We could not be more excited for you — truly. We are absolutely thrilled. Please, we beg of you: hire him. We know what you’re thinking. Why would a school district that just renewed this man’s contract with a glowing 3-2 vote be so eager to send him to Missouri? That’s a great question, and we appreciate your critical thinking skills. It suggests you’ll ask sharp questions about budget shortfalls, which, rest assured, is a habit Dr. Liggins is actively working on developing himself. Let us tell you about the man you’re getting. A Visionary of Unmatched Scope Dr. Liggins is a big-picture thinker. When smaller minds were worrying about a $16 million budget shortfall — a number that caused your Kentucky state legislature to use words like “unbelievable” and “jaw-dropping” in official testimony — Dr. Liggins was focused on the global educational landscape. Literally. In November 2022, he traveled to Australia for a professional learning conference. Was there an incident at a local school that morning? Allegedly. Did the last-minute flight rebooking cost a little extra? Sure. But you can’t put a price on international perspective. (FCPS put a price of roughly $6,900 on it, but that’s neither here nor there.) The man has 29 board-approved trips under his belt in just 28 months, crisscrossing from San Francisco to Philadelphia to Salt Lake City to San Antonio. He’s been to Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, and Washington D.C. Some leaders manage a district from their desk. Dr. Liggins prefers to manage it from 35,000 feet. You will find he has a remarkable talent for being somewhere else when difficult questions are being asked. A Strong Believer in Team Morale (and Team Meals) Under Dr. Liggins’ leadership, FCPS achieved a district record of nearly $28,000 spent on food during a 28-month span — and that’s just on his procurement card. Cabinet dinners, administrative lunches, staff gatherings — the man understands that you cannot pour from an empty cup, and you certainly cannot strategize on an empty stomach. He has personally acquainted Lexington’s finest establishments — Malone’s, Papi’s, Sedona Tap House, Wild Eggs — with the concept of “school business.” And then there was the Olive Garden. We’ll let that one speak for itself. When a superintendent holds a school meeting at Olive Garden and still manages to run up a tab that makes the community’s eyes water, that is a man who takes hospitality seriously. When you’re here, you’re family. Especially if “here” is a school board-funded dinner and “family” means district administrators. The $52,000 leadership retreat at the Galt House in Louisville? A bargain, if you consider that 112 principals and district leaders attended, which works out to only $464 per person for a single day of professional inspiration. The $26,000 motivational speech from private school celebrity Ron Clark? Priceless. Literally — no one could explain the measurable outcomes. A Refreshingly Candid Approach to Accountability One of Dr. Liggins’ most endearing qualities is his consistency. When problems arise, he accepts full responsibility in a clear, direct, and heartfelt statement, and then continues doing the same things. “The buck stops with me,” he has told Kentucky lawmakers — once before the Interim Joint Committee on Education, once in a press release, and at least a couple of additional times in formats we may have lost count of. If you value a leader who is skilled in the art of the accountability statement, Hazelwood, your search is over. When FCPS’s budget director blew the whistle on a projected shortfall and was subsequently placed on administrative leave, Dr. Liggins acknowledged that perhaps he had “relied too heavily” on the finance team and should have asked “sharper questions.” He did not ask those questions. But he acknowledged he should have. Growth mindset! An independent investigation ultimately found that Liggins “failed to fully comply with the requirements set forth in Board Policies” — though investigators were careful to note he probably didn’t do it on purpose. See? Optimism. A Man Who Knows When to Leave the Room Leadership sometimes means knowing when not to be present. In October 2025, as a community member stepped to the podium during public comment specifically to address the superintendent, Dr. Liggins excused himself for seven minutes. The speaker refused to begin until he returned. Other speakers also refused to use their time. The standoff lasted nearly the length of a TED Talk, which, coincidentally, might have been cheaper than one of Dr. Liggins’ professional development retreats. The district explained that the superintendent “excused himself briefly at one point during a long meeting, which is allowed.” It is, technically, allowed. Masterful. His Texas Résumé Is Also Quite Something We should mention that before Dr. Liggins blessed Lexington with his leadership, he served as superintendent of the Greenville Independent School District in East Texas. When local taxpayers there pushed for a forensic audit of the district’s finances, then-Superintendent Liggins went on the record to say such a review was “not necessary.” The subsequent forensic audit uncovered what investigators described as “cronyism, misappropriation of payroll assets, misconduct, and theft by gift of taxpayer monies” — by prior officials, to be clear. Dr. Liggins was not personally implicated in the criminal findings, but his confidence that nothing would be found is a testament to his unshakeable optimism in the face of all available evidence. Think of it as a warm-up act for Kentucky. In Closing Hazelwood, we want you to know that Dr. Liggins is leaving Lexington under the very best of circumstances — if you consider a pending state auditor’s examination, a whistleblower lawsuit, an independent investigation finding he violated board policies, and multiple sitting state legislators calling for his resignation to constitute “best circumstances.” And honestly, in the world of school administration, it’s not the worst exit ramp we’ve ever seen. His statement upon being named your finalist called this “a recognition that reflects the meaningful progress our entire team has made together.” We agree wholeheartedly. The team made the progress. Dr. Liggins made the travel arrangements. We send him to you with open arms, warm hearts, and one sincere piece of advice: count your contingency fund before he starts, and again about 18 months in. With genuine affection and enormous relief, The Parents, Taxpayers, and Auditors of Fayette County, Kentucky P.S. — He will tell you the budget is fine. Ask for the actual numbers. P.P.S. — Book your own lunch reservations. The post An Open Letter to the Hazelwood School District: You’re Going to Love This Guy appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less