Beshear expands pre-K for all to Franklin County, Glasgow Independent Schools
Gov. Andy Beshear announced he is expanding the pre-K for all pilot programs to Franklin County and Glasgow Independent Schools in Barren County.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Beshear said curriculum will begin in the 2026-2027 school year and will be full-day pilot programs.
“Every child, each of these children, deserves a strong start, and every Kentucky parent deserves to go to work knowing their child is safe and getting the best education,” Beshear said. “Right now, over half of Kentucky’s children aren’t ready for kindergarten. Some never catch up. That’s unacceptable, and the solution is clear: it is pre-K for all.”
Universal pre-K is an early childhood learning program funded by public dollars and available to all families regardless of income.
Mark Kopp, superintendent of Franklin County Schools, said the pilot program will serve over 1,000 students in Franklin County.
“In Franklin County, we have a lot of students whose first experience with education isn’t until kindergarten,” Kopp said. “If we consider K through 12 education to be a marathon, why on earth would we want to start a preschool to give them that head start on this marathon? That’s why it’s so important to get this done.”
Chad Muhlenkamp, superintendent of Glasgow Independent Schools, said preschool is the most effective way for every child to get the start they need.
“This initiative will help put us put a stop to that gap before it even begins,” Muhlenkamp said. “Pre-K for all in Glasgow will provide kids with a strong foundation in reading, counting, and getting along with others.”
Throughout Beshear’s second term as governor, he has pushed the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly to fund a state-funded preschool program available to all Kentucky 4-year-olds.
His pitch though has always been met with skepticism, and lawmakers have declined Beshear’s budget requests for the program, citing concerns with the impacts on private businesses and the high potential associated costs.
Beshear signed an executive order in May to launch a pre-K for all pilot program in Robertson and Rockcastle counties. With Tuesday’s expansion announcement, four districts will now have these pilot programs.
When asked why he chose to expand in Franklin County and Glasgow Independent Schools, Beshear said it was because those two school districts were ready and have been active.
While Beshear did not say how much adding these two new pilot programs will cost, he said the source of funding will come from flexible federal funds which he has the power to choose how to spend.
For Rockcastle and Robertson counties, contracts publicly available on the state’s transparency website say pilot programs for those two school districts will cost nearly $1.3 million for the next two years.
When asked if he’s worried about the programs once he leaves office at the end of 2027, Beshear said, “I can’t imagine a legislature taking away a program providing an education to a 4-year-old .. when it’s paid for by federal funds.”
“Maybe when I’m gone, it won’t be viewed as a win or a loss,” Beshear said. “If that’s the case, if that’s the reason why it hasn’t passed politically, that’s pretty sad because these are 4-year-olds we’re talking to...These kids aren’t Democrats or Republicans, and frankly, I don’t care which their parents are, and we just want the best for them.”
