December 18, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtney Daniel, Chief of Communications and External Affairs
courtney@prichardcommittee.org

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Governor Beshear’s budget released tonight focuses on key investments in education. Notably, the budget included proposals for preschool expansion, child care, full funding for school transportation and kindergarten, as well as additional investments in postsecondary education. The governor also included an 11% pay increase for public school employees. These can all positively influence Kentucky’s education outcomes and the state’s workforce and economy.

Early childhood is the one area of the Big Bold Ask where we have not made significant headway in the past four years. While the governor’s proposal for preschool is exceptional, we are concerned that the budgeted investment in the Child Care Assistance Program is not enough to maintain coverage of the currently 37,000 children relying on the support of child care. We’ll be working to better understand the governor’s proposal for the interconnection between preschool and child care, and to work through the budget session on this issue, which is critical to Kentucky’s families.

As we enter the initial phase of the 2024 Legislative Session, this budget serves as a first step in the process. We are committed to keeping Kentuckians informed and will release a full analysis of the governor’s proposed budget tomorrow and provide detailed context and insights at each stage of the legislative process.

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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.