LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Gov. Andy Beshear's Pre-K for All initiative is expanding into two more Kentucky school districts.
Beshear announced Tuesday the Pre-K Pilot Program will now be available to Glasgow Independent Schools and Franklin County Schools. It was previously rolled out in Robertson and Rockcastle counties.
The pilots allow children in the participating districts to attend full-day preschool, regardless of eligibility. It serves as the first step toward every Kentucky child having universal access to Pre-K.Â
Mark Kopp, superintendent of Franklin County Schools, and Chad Muhlenkamp, superintendent of Glasgow Independent Schools, joined Beshear for the announcement along with children from both districts.
"Decades of research and the example of states around us show that kids that attend high-quality preschool programs, like the one we’re launching today, do better and go further," Kopp said. "Pre-K is the one thing that we can point to that has a lasting and immediate impact."
According to Muhlenkamp, fewer than half of Kentucky children currently enter kindergarten ready to learn and called preschool the "single most effective way for every child to get the start they need."
Beshear signed an executive order in May to launch the program in Robertson and Rockcastle counties. His administration said nearly 3,000 additional children across Kentucky have gained expanded access to child care through the Pre-K pilot program and the new Team Kentucky Early Learning Center, which is scheduled to open in September for executive branch state employees.
"Kentucky’s children deserve the very best start, and Pre-K for All will deliver that and more by also helping parents save money, boosting our workforce and supporting businesses," Beshear said. "...This is progress we intend to build on, because we know our families and businesses need it."
Statewide expansion would require additional funding and action from the Kentucky General Assembly. Click here for more information on the program.
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