It's been two years since Millie Larkins graduated, but she still tears up trying to talk about how rough things had gotten before she transferred to Liberty High , an alternative school that leaders of Kentucky's largest school system are seeking to close .

"When I got there, I really wasn’t doing well," Larkins recalled while choking back tears. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her freshman year, though she said she'd already began to disengage from classes beforehand. When schools reopened, she was far behind and felt her teachers weren't offering her the help she needed to catch up. She was at one of Jefferson County Public Schools' most highly rated non-magnet high schools, but she felt alone. Her disillusionment grew, as did her mental health issues and thus her truancy.

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