January 10, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information Contact:
Brigitte Blom
(cell) 859-322-8999
brigitte@prichardcommittee.org
Bold investments in education – early childhood through college – are the best chance Kentucky has to break the vicious cycle of poverty and realize a Big Bold Future for all Kentuckians. For this reason, in 2020 the Prichard Committee announced a Big Bold Ask of $1 billion new dollars of targeted investment in education by 2026, with the goal of increasing overall education attainment and student outcomes. Our policymakers responded with significant dollars already invested in the 2021 budget and even more targeted funding in the 2022 Budget.
“We are grateful to Kentucky’s elected leaders for progress made on the Big Bold Ask in the 2021 session. The 2022 budget process is off to a great start for education with deepened investment in education, proposed by the Governor and the House, which meets and exceeds the Big Bold Ask,” said Brigitte Blom, president and CEO of the Prichard Committee. “We are hopeful the executive and legislative branches will work together toward the boldest possible investment in education, seizing this moment to put Kentucky on a path to a Big Bold Future for all Kentuckians.”
With the strength in our economy better than expected, revenue higher than projected, and businesses from Toyota and Ford, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Baptist Health, to future industries like solar and agri-tech – all investing deeply in Kentucky, now is the time to get behind the boldest plan possible which has the power to put Kentucky in a position of competitive advantage relative to other states. By investing deeply in education now – in strategies that can be measured and evaluated for impact – Kentucky’s policy makers will be positioning Kentucky to climb the national rankings in education and the economy, putting more Kentuckians on a path to a larger life.
“Moving our state and our communities forward has always been about education and Kentuckians uniting for a common cause,” said Clay Ford, partner at EM Ford and chair of the Prichard Committee. “It’s time for Kentucky to lead the nation again and uniting around a Big Bold plan for historical investments in education will put us on the path to do just that.”
“Investing in education is the most powerful thing we can do to strengthen economic growth and improve the lives of Kentuckians,” said Susan Elkington, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky and vice-chair of the Prichard Committee. “Not only is it the cure for poverty, but also the answer for developing a sustainable workforce in the Commonwealth.”
The Prichard Committee will analyze each budget as it is introduced through the lens of investments that will help build educational excellence, educational equity, and Kentucky’s standing relative to other states. You can find these analyses and more on our website at www.prichardcommittee.org.
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The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-led organization working to improve education in Kentucky – early childhood through postsecondary.
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