HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Dr. Sam Flynn, executive director for Kentucky’s Pre-K for All initiative, spoke during September’s Pennyrile Area Development District Board Meeting. He shared details about Gov. Andy Beshear’s plans for expanding publicly funded preschool education in the state, and CCPS has weighed in with their take on the idea.
“Our mission is to ensure that all of Kentucky’s 54,000 four-year-olds have access to preschool,” said Flynn during the meeting.
Publicly funded preschool is not new for the state, with programs being funded and offered for the last 30 years. Currently, 14,500 Kentucky students are eligible for state funded preschool due to a disability or below average income.
“Christian County Public Schools has long been an advocate for Pre-K for All, not only in our district but across the state of Kentucky,” Superintendent Chris Bentzel told Christian County Now. “By providing opportunities for our youngest learners to get a jumpstart on their educational journey, we are building a stronger foundation that supports long-term success in school and beyond. With the establishment of the Martin Luther King Early Learning Center and the Inspire Early Learning Academy, Christian County is actively working to provide and expand those opportunities within our community.”
How Pre-K for All works, voluntary basis
During the PeADD meeting on Sept. 8, Flynn explained that this initiative would not force families to participate in preschool but is instead focused on expanding preschool access to all areas of the state, including areas where it is not as accessible or affordable.
“There’s a lot of places in the state where there isn’t access to childcare, and mom and dad have to stay at home or to take the kids to grandma and grandpas so they can go to work,” Flynn said. Data presented during the meeting showed that 10.4 million Americans would go back to work if they had access to childcare. Also, 49 out of 120 counties in the state are considered ‘childcare deserts’, mostly in the eastern region with the average annual cost for full time childcare in the state at about $10,000.
| EDUCATION NEWS: Read more from Christian County Schools
During town hall meetings across Kentucky, Flynn said they have learned that increased accessibility to early learning has drastically increased kindergarten readiness. Currently, 46% of Kentucky kids have proper kindergarten readiness, below the national average of 64%.
Christian County lies at around 42% of students who are ready for kindergarten at the beginning of the school year. Areas of the Pennyrile region that are above 50% are Caldwell and Livingston County.
Next steps for Kentucky
After gathering extensive research throughout the state and meeting with educators and local officials, Flynn said they are currently drafting a plan that will be introduced to legislators this fall.
“We want to do this in a phased and responsible way…we are not going to walk over the legislature and ask for the moon,” he said, pointing out that Alabama rolled out a similar initiative over the span of a decade. Taking this process one step at a time gives agencies the chance to get regulations in place and allow long term planning for school districts.
A board member asked about school bus transportation access for preschoolers to accommodate a shorter school day, and Flynn said that typical preschool hours may be extended to better align with public school hours. After additional questioning, he said he does not think this will impact private, locally owned daycare facilities due to the fact that wraparound care will still be needed by most families in addition to school.
As far as funding goes, the initiative would establish a separate pot of money that districts can dip into to update facilities to bring them up to standards to establish preschool classrooms. Flynn encourages people to reach out to their local state legislators with questions or support about the initiative.
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