Tuition-free Bezos Academy preschool launches in Louisville's Russell neighborhood

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The first of three new Bezos Academy preschools is now open in the Louisville area.

The preschools, inspired by Montessori's preschool programs, offer free tuition to families in need. They're located in the Fairdale, Okolona and Russell neighborhoods.

City and state leaders, including Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the academy in the Russell neighborhood Sept. 19.

"We have two choices," Coleman said. "We can invest in kids on the front end, or we are literally going to pay for it on the back end. Our choice is to build preschools, or prisons. I don't know about you, but preschools look a lot better to me."

Greenberg said he knows the importance of early education, having grown up in the public school system, and many of his family members chose careers in education.

"Like Lt. Gov. Coleman, I come from a family of educators," Greenberg said. "Both of my parents started their careers as public school teachers in New York City. I'm married to an amazing educator who taught in the JCPS school system."

Greenberg said many children who enroll in kindergarten are walking into the classroom for the first time, "and that's already too late."

He added he had the opportunity to attend preschool, but that's not the case for everyone.

"The ability for me to have the honor of serving as mayor today I trace back to the opportunities that I had from my education experiences," he said. "But we all here today know that not every child has those same opportunities."

Greenberg said having the tuition-free preschools as an option for low-income families will allow parents to reenter the workforce, knowing their children are receiving quality early education.

Parents can take advantage of full-day, year-round preschool. About 200 children, ages 3-5 years old, are taking part in the program. Organizers said the programs give kids more opportunities in area neighborhoods, and help prepare children for kindergarten.

The preschools will provide full-day, year-round, preschool programming for children ages 3-5 at no cost to the families they serve. Talented educators will ensure children receive everything they need during their day, including meals and snacks.

"The legacy of what we are launching today is going to be something that makes our city in 20, 30, 40 years so much stronger," Greenberg said.

He thanked the Bezos Academy for choosing Louisville for its academies.

Two other academies, in Okolona and Fairdale, will be opening within the next couple of weeks, Greenberg said, with a fourth one scheduled to open in the future.

Applications opened earlier this year, and students were selected through a lottery, so classes at all three preschools opening this fall are full for the 2025–26 school year.

For details on eligibility or to add your child to the waitlist, visit www.bezosacademy.org. Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, (about $128,600 per year for a family of four) with children aged 3-4 years old are eligible to apply.

Construction underway on Bezos Academy's new tuition-free preschool in west Louisville

New tuition-free preschool in Okolona to open in Louisville next year

Bezos Academies to address pre-school gap for families in Louisville