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FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – Saying she has the future of Kentucky’s children in mind, State Rep. Anne Gay Donworth, D-Lexington, has filed legislation that goes along with Gov. Andy Beshear’s wish to make publicly funded preschool available for all four-year-olds, starting in August.

“Even before the pandemic, only half of our children were ‘kindergarten-ready,’ meaning that half of our students were behind academically from the first day they entered school,” she said. “Today, those rates have dropped three-percentage points when compared to 2019, an unacceptable decline that should alarm us all and will be felt for generations. The Commonwealth spends nearly half of its budget on public education, and school readiness is the best way to make those investments go further. My House Bill 460, which is also a major priority of the House Democratic Caucus and Governor Andy Beshear, would go a long way toward reversing this deeply troubling trend. We all agree that it’s time for pre-K for all.”

Donworth noted the legislation would have another benefit as well: reducing childcare costs.

“I know that many families, especially those with more than one child, are struggling to pay this cost, let alone to find a quality and affordable childcare option. Childcare deserts are a problem throughout the state in rural and urban environments. My bill would help alleviate that in many ways.”

According to Gov. Beshear’s budget proposal submitted for the 2024 legislative session, extending preschool to all Kentucky four-year-olds would annually cost the state $172 million and enroll 34,000 4-year-olds each school year.

“With a Rainy Day fund now measured in the billions of dollars, this is something we can easily afford right now and that will pay dividends down the road,” Donworth said. “We can see that in studies like one an MIT economist did two years ago. A review of students enrolled in public preschool in Boston from 1997 to 2003 showed they were 18 percent more likely to enroll in college after graduating high school than fellow students with similar backgrounds who did not attend preschool. This is exactly the type of progress we want to see happen here in Kentucky. Our children and families should not have to wait another year.”

The bill has been assigned to the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee. No hearing date has been set.