Leadership from 156 businesses in Kentucky write letter to General Assembly asking them to fund Pre-K for All
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 17, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that more than 150 business owners from across the commonwealth sent a letter to the General Assembly urging them to fund Pre-K for All in the 2026-2027 budget session. The letter stated that Pre-K for All is not just an education policy – it’s an economic development investment that will grow Kentucky’s workforce.
“Kentucky’s economy is red-hot after six years of historic investment, and to ensure this success continues, we need to make Pre-K for All a reality in Kentucky – and business leaders across the state agree,” said Gov. Beshear. “An investment in pre-K will grow our workforce by 70,000 people, help families save, and prepare our children for a strong education and career. Business leaders, local officials, educators and our families have said loud and clear: It’s time the General Assembly fund Pre-K for All in Kentucky.”
Business leaders from Appalachian Regional Healthcare, GE Appliances, Humana, Kruger Packaging, LION Apparel, Med Center Health, Pikeville Medical Center, Safran, Weiland and more all signed on to the letter that was sent today. The business leaders stated that, “when parents have access to affordable pre-K, they can work. When kids arrive at school ready to learn, they are more likely to be prepared for a career and succeed in life. When families’ earnings increase by nearly $9,000 dollars, they have more money to spend locally at businesses like ours.”
“Pre-K for All will set kids on a path to lifelong learning and enable more parents to join and stay in the workforce. When families have reliable, affordable access to preschool, they can take advantage of the good jobs being created right here in our state,” said Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances. “As a leading manufacturer in Kentucky committed to growing our business and our communities, we see the value of expanding opportunity through early childhood education.”
Today’s letter of support from business leaders follows a letter from 93 school superintendents representing over half of Kentucky’s school districts urging the General Assembly to fund Pre-K for All in the 2026-2027 budget session.
The Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA), which represents 3,300 education leaders across the state, also penned a letter of support.
Pre-K for All has also received endorsement from the business community, with 46 local and regional chambers of commerce and their presidents sending a letter to the General Assembly encouraging them to support the initiative. Areas represented include Bowling Green and Louisville, as well as the counties of Ballard, Bracken, Clay, Floyd, Lincoln, Oldham, Scott and more.
In October, the Governor was joined by members of the Pre-K for All Advisory Committee, which shared its report on the need for pre-K in the commonwealth following four months of hosting town halls, 54 outreach events and meetings with local leaders, educators, parents, child-care providers and businesses. The report is clear: Kentucky needs to expand its public preschool program through Pre-K for All.
Earlier in October, the Governor had announced that 63 county judge/executives, 34 mayors and the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents (KASS) all endorsed the Pre-K for All initiative. Those endorsements were made through three letters, each signed and delivered that month to members of the General Assembly.
Since the launch of the initiative in May 2025, over 66,000 Kentuckians have written to their state legislators asking them to support expanding preschool access. Following numerous town halls held by Team Kentucky across the state, nearly 90% of participants voiced their support for more funding for Pre-K for All.
To learn more about the benefits of Pre-K for All and to see how you can get involved, visit prek4all.ky.gov.
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