Local Officials Join Governor Beshear at Pre-K for All Initiative Meeting

By Jennifer Wimmer
Last week, Hawesville Mayor Rob McCormick and City Manager Jake Powers attended the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce meeting where Governor Andy Beshear delivered remarks promoting the Pre-K for All initiative. The nonpartisan program offers universal pre-kindergarten access for all 4-year-olds in the Commonwealth, and aims to increase kindergarten readiness and support working families, while also bolstering the workforce and economy.
“I think it would be a great program for Hancock County if this is passed,” McCormick said, “because it’s going to give kids an opportunity to attend a public pre-K for all…This is not a requirement, it’s an opportunity. My wife taught in the school system for years. She would be teaching kindergarten and first graders, and it was amazing over the years how some weren’t really ready. She felt like a lot of it was because not everyone has access to that pre-K program. There are people who can’t afford to send their child to a private pre-K. Then, of course, with 4-year-olds, if you have to pay for a babysitter, I understand it’s up as much as $100 a week for a babysitter. That’s a lot of money that can be saved there too, and they would be getting a very good base start of their education.”
Powers added, “It’s not worded that you have to start at this age, but it does encourage it, which I think is important. It’s not demanding that they start attending pre-K, it’s just providing the access and keeping it affordable.”
Powers and McCormick traveled to this event in Owensboro on Friday, June 13th, and were the only officials from Hancock County attending the informative Chamber meeting.
“Alex Caudill (Field Rep., Office of Gov. Beshear) reached out to us,” McCormick said, “and we were more than honored to have the invite. We got to meet a lot of people in different areas of government, and felt very good about the contacts we made there. We spoke with Rocky Adkins (Beshear’s Senior Advisor). He’s ensured us that he’s there to help us in any way, and to just reach out at any time. These things are good for our city as well, getting these contacts, and getting people in those higher ranks to actually know who we are. We were at the Governor’s Conference last year and got to meet Rocky. His relationship with Mike Boling (Hancock County Circuit Court Clerk) is very tight. Mike really has helped us a lot in getting in contact with the right people…I feel like Pre-K for All should have been completed several years ago; Gov. Beshear commented on how West Virginia started the program back in 2002. This is not a republican or democrat decision, this is for all. I appreciate how Beshear has reached across the aisle. I’m very proud to be a part of it. We were very proud to be invited to this event.”
Powers also mentioned that there is an important connection between attending a quality pre-kindergarten program and third-grade readiness.
“There is a statistic on how much higher of a rate that third grade readiness was if kids had pre-K, and were ready for kindergarten,” he noted, “rather than coming into kindergarten behind and trying to play catch up.”
To his point, a Boston study revealed that attendees scored higher on third-grade language arts tests, and are more likely to have third-grade readiness because of improved literacy and math outcomes compared to non-attendees.
The educators, business leaders, and parents who support this initiative say that it will address critical gaps in early childhood education while fostering long-term economic growth. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services reports that 79 of KY’s 120 counties lack sufficient childcare options. These “childcare deserts” exacerbate financial strains for families and limit workforce participation. If passed and implemented, it is projected to save families approximately $7,000 per year in childcare costs.
A longtime advocate for universal pre-K, Beshear emphasizes its dual benefits for children and working parents. The initiative aligns with his broader Education First plan to modernize the Commonwealth’s public education system. Providing high-quality pre-K could reduce the current 53.8 percent unpreparedness rate, and by alleviating childcare constraints, is expected to enable tens of thousands to join or remain in the workforce, addressing labor shortages and supporting economic growth.
Beshear issued an executive order this month to establish the Team Kentucky Pre-K for All Advisory Committee, comprising 28 leaders from education, business, and community sectors. Led by Sam Flynn, this committee is tasked with studying successful state-funded pre-K models in 18 states, and making recommendations to the governor and General Assembly for the voluntary program in KY.
Legislative approval is required to secure funding and implement the program statewide. The Team KY Pre-K for All Advisory Committee is expected to create legislation for consideration in the 2026 General Assembly session. The initiative’s success will depend on continued public engagement and bipartisan support.
For more information, visit the official Pre-K for All website at: prek4all.ky.gov.