VERSAILLES, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Woodford County Public Schools is working to extend preschool from a half day to a full day through a new wraparound childcare program at a facility on Macey Avenue called the Little Legacy Hive.
The district is awaiting licensing approval and hopes to launch the full-day program by the first day of pre-K on Aug. 25.
The effort aligns with Gov. Andy Beshear's Pre-K for All initiative, which aims to provide preschool access to every 4-year-old in Kentucky.
Superintendent Dr. Lori Jones is among 93 school superintendents who signed a letter to the General Assembly six months ago urging lawmakers to fund Pre-K for All in the 2026-27 budget session.
"It was clear to me once the governor started campaigning for that effort that we needed to support that," Jones said.
The Little Legacy Hive, located in the former home of Safe Harbor Academy (the district's alternative program for middle and high school students now at Woodford County Public Schools' central campus) on Macey Avenue, is central to the district's expansion plan. Students who qualify for state-funded preschool would have that portion of their day covered, with families paying only for the remaining hours.
"That portion of the day is paid for, and then they would just pay for the other half of the day... we bus them here," Jones said.
Jones said workforce development needs in the community drove the decision.
"Our community, our workforce development had already charged me with that task," Jones said.
According to Pre-K for All data previously reported, up to 70,000 Kentuckians could enter the workforce through the Pre-K for All initiative.
Jones said the program is designed to give families confidence in where they are sending their children.
"We've listened to you we've heard you and we are providing a loving environment where you can drop off your child," Jones said.
"They can be a part of an incredibly strong program," Jones said.
Woodford County preschools have already earned a five-star rating. Jones said the new program builds on that foundation as the district prepares students for kindergarten and beyond.
