Courtesy of Kentucky Lantern
Gov. Andy Beshear has signed an executive order to launch pre-K for all pilot programs in Robertson and Rockcastle counties.
He has long pushed for universal pre-K in Kentucky, but could not get buy-in from the General Assembly.
During his weekly press conference, he criticized Kentucky lawmakers for not agreeing to his budget request for pre-K funding.
“Unfortunately, the Republican supermajority refused to fund pre-k for all this session, turning a no-brainer into a partisan issue,” Beshear said. “We will not accept that outcome, because Kentucky’s kids deserve better.”
When asked if he had spoken to lawmakers before his announcement, Beshear said “we were able to take action today to expand pre-K in these two counties solely through executive action.”
He said his administration is taking dollars “from some workforce programs that we did not believe were maximizing outcomes” to fund the full-day pilots, which will run the 2026-2027 school year.
“The only place this is a red or blue issue is in Frankfort,” Beshear said. “We delivered today to what are probably considered two red counties, though there’s Democrats, Republicans and independents that live in them.”
Republican leaders criticized the maneuver. Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, raised questions about the funding, which was not laid out in detail.
“Questions of consistency from this administration naturally come to mind,” Stivers said. “Beshear has repeatedly argued that programs and policies cannot move forward without explicit funding or legislative direction. At a minimum, today’s announcement appears difficult to reconcile with that longstanding position and raises broader questions about how this administration determines when flexibility within existing appropriations can and cannot be exercised.”
In the dispute over how to pay for relief for kinship care families, Beshear often cited a 2005 state Supreme Court decision, that he says preclude the executive branch from spending money the legislature has not appropriated.
In a separate statement, House Speaker David Osborne was more blunt: “Time and again, the governor has demonstrated an ability to identify funding when it serves to expand the scope and reach of government, even while ignoring serious and longstanding issues within the systems already under the state’s care,” he said. “At a time when vulnerable children are sleeping on office floors and going without resources and services required under state law, Kentuckians are right to question if the governor understands his role in state government.”
In June 2025, Beshear signed an executive order establishing the Pre-K for All Advisory Committee to explore support for universal pre-kindergarten programs in Kentucky. After meeting for several months, the committee recommended Kentucky phase in expanded access to pre-K over several years.
Carrie Ballinger, the superintendent of Rockcastle County Schools, said the pilot program “will help us put a stop to the learning gap before it ever begins.”
“We know from study after study and our own personal experiences that the first five years of a child’s life are absolutely crucial to their growth and development,” Ballinger said. “Programs like this will help our youngest learners with language, numeracy and social skills that they so desperately need to begin kindergarten ready to learn.”
Sanford Holbrook, the superintendent of Robertson County Schools, said “expanding preschool is a no brainer.”
“Pre-K for all is so important to our community, because if you’ve ever been to Robertson County, you know we have no childcare,” Holbrook said, adding the nearest childcare is half an hour away. “We needed to do something.”
In February, Sam Flynn, executive director of the Team Kentucky Pre-K for All Program, told state lawmakers that expanding preschool access would provide parents a place for their kids that is safe and educational.
At that time, Flynn said Head Start programs provide early childhood education for low-income families while private childcare can have families writing big checks.
“We’re starting in two counties, and we’re going to grow from there,” Beshear said, “with the goal of eventually delivering pre-K to every community across Kentucky with us.”
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
