The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence in Kentucky is celebrating a historic win in the state’s new budget. While their initial billion-dollar request was not fully met, lawmakers did approve $812 million towards education, which is 79% of the total ask.
The organization’s focus areas included post-secondary education, K–12 education, and early childhood education. Over the past five years, significant progress has been made, such as funding full-day kindergarten and making higher education more affordable through scholarships and grants.
Despite these victories, there is still work to be done in early childhood education. Lawmakers allocated $47 million for the state’s child care assistance program, meeting only 24% of Prichard’s request in this area. However, this is still considered a significant investment compared to previous years.
Brigitte Blom, the president and CEO of the Prichard Committee, emphasized the importance of early childhood education in supporting the state’s workforce. Moving forward, the organization plans to advocate for more spending in areas like professional development for teachers to improve test scores and poverty rates in Kentucky.
While there may be future long-term pitches to lawmakers, for now, the focus is on turning this funding into action that benefits the education system and ultimately helps Kentucky rise in national rankings.