FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX News) — Governor Andy Beshear's Pre-K for All initiative continues to gain support from school leaders across Kentucky, including one Frankfort superintendent who says universal preschool is a win for parents, children and school districts alike.
Beshear said initative was at the top of his agenda for 2026.
"This is something we need to do to be competitive," Beshear said.
Launched last June, Pre-K for All aims to provide universal preschool for every 4-year-old in Kentucky.
Sheri Satterly, superintendent of Frankfort Independent Schools, is among the superintendents supporting the statewide initiative. She said the topic has become a priority in conversations among school leaders.
"I think it's definitely on the top of the list of conversation topics especially among superintendents," Satterly said.
Satterly said she believes there is a misconception among some members of the public that the governor would require families to send children to preschool.
"Some people believe that that's what he's saying that we would make them come to preschool. It's not that, it's that we would offer it and make it available to every family....it's just making it available to every single student regardless of whether they qualify or not. It's not a mandate, just an opportunity," Satterly said.
According to the state, 79 of the state's 120 counties lack enough childcare to serve all families.
The National Institute for Early Education Research reports that in the 2024-25 school year, Kentucky preschool enrolled 18,837 children — a decrease of 900 from the previous year.
Satterly said kindergarten readiness is at the heart of why the initiative matters specifically addressing how Pre-K for All could impact long-term educational outcomes.
"That birth to age 5 brain development is huge and that's when the develop a lot of the strategies they need to be able to read, which I believe literacy makes all other things possible..preschool was huge for (Satterly's children) to be ready for kindergarten and we are accountable for kindergarten readiness, also," she said. "So, when they are coming to us and we only have forty or fifty percent who are ready for kindergarten and the kindergarten readiness assessment is not over the top. It's basic skills that show they're ready for kindergarten."
According to Satterly, implementing the initiative would not require Frankfort Independent to take on any other "financial or facility projects" to make it happen and wouldn't change the district's financial situation.
However, other superintendents may feel different about the initiative because they may not have the seats or the finances available for all preschool-aged children.
"Now, I do know that in other big districts that is a concern because right now if you don't have the seats for the ones who don't qualify, you can't bring them. Right now, we have enough seats after our qualifying students to already bring in some of those students and then we still have some seats that we can put out there so it wouldn't affect us financially or facilities-wise to be able to offer it, but I do know that I've talked to other superintendents who say it would be a huge financial lift or a huge facilities change to be able to do it," she said.
