LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Governor Andy Beshear has launched the “Pre-K for All” initiative in Kentucky with Louisville being the first city to support it.
The initiative aims to advance the commonwealth’s public education system and job growth.
According to Team Kentucky, this will better prepare Kindergarten readiness for Kentucky children and grow Kentucky’s labor force by 40,000-70,000 Kentuckians.
“We are here, not as Democrats or Republicans, not as part of the right or the left,” Beshear said in a news release. “Instead, we are here as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, educators and business leaders. We are here because we want the best for our Kentucky kids, the best for our Kentucky parents and caregivers, and we want to build and maintain the best workforce in America.”
Beshear issued an executive order to create the Team Kentucky Pre-K for All Advisory Committee, which is made up of 28 leaders from across the state.
“Louisville is proud to be the first Kentucky city to support Pre-K for All with the launch of our new Thrive by Five initiative,” Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a news release. “I appreciate Gov. Beshear’s work to provide access to high quality early learning for children in Louisville and across the commonwealth and I look forward to more exciting announcements in the future.”
WDRB spoke with several parents in Jefferson County who said it’s about more than just saving money.
“It would just give them a head start for when they are starting kindergarten and help the teachers out cause they will already learn how to sit in class, how to learn, how to follow schedules – so I think it is great for everyone,” Elizabeth McCray said.
The next step would be for the commission to produce legislation to pass the initiative. That could happen at the next session early next year.
