Beshear renews campaign for 'Pre-K for all'

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear stepped up his efforts Wednesday to guarantee preschool access for every 4-year-old in the state, offering assurances his plan would improve student performance while bolstering employment and family budgets.

Having been stymied by the state legislature in recent years when he pitched his universal pre-K plan, Beshear kicked off a high-profile campaign in hopes of building grassroots support. It could be the term-limited governor’s last realistic chance to turn his ambitious preschool plan into law. The 2026 session will be highlighted by work to pass the state’s next two-year budget.

Beshear pointed to statistics showing more than half of Kentucky children are unprepared for their first day of kindergarten. He said nearly two-thirds of Kentucky’s 120 counties lack sufficient child care to serve every family that needs it, the governor said. Workforce participation rates tend to be lower in counties with fewer childcare options, Beshear’s administration said.

The benefits of his pre-K proposal would be much broader and would include increasing the state’s workforce by enabling more parents to go back to work, Beshear said. 

Beshear did not delve into how much state-funded preschool would cost, but he pointed to a study indicating every $1 invested in pre-K generates $10 cycling through the state economy.

Leading up to the 2024 legislative session, Beshear’s budget plan included $172 million each year of the following two-year budget cycle to provide preschool for 4-year-olds. 

Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne, a Republican, said later Wednesday that there have been no discussions with Beshear or anyone in his administration about legislative initiatives.

“If he is genuinely interested in passing a legislative priority, he should talk to legislators,” the speaker said in a statement.

Republican state Sen. Stephen West said Kentucky lawmakers increased funding in recent years for full-day kindergarten, early literacy and numeracy initiatives and other efforts to “help students succeed from the start.” West, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, also said that many details about the governor’s early childhood education initiative remain unclear.

Beshear said that 18 states — including some run by Republicans — offer pre-K access for all 4-year-olds.

Beshear and other top members of his administration planned events in Kentucky’s biggest media markets over the coming days to promote the preschool plan.

Beshear issued an executive order creating an advisory committee that will hold statewide public meetings on the issue. The committee — made up of people with backgrounds in education, workforce development and business — will submit a report to the governor this fall detailing its findings and recommendations.


(AP Photo John McDonell)