STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Several employers with ties to Glasgow and Barren County are adding their voices to a growing statewide campaign to expand preschool access in Kentucky.
Governor Andy Beshear announced on March 17 that more than 150 business leaders from across the commonwealth have signed a letter to the General Assembly urging lawmakers to fund his Pre-K for All initiative in the 2026-2027 state budget, including T.J. Regional Health, Med Center Health, the Hive Coffee and Bakehouse and the Wound Care Center at Glasgow.
In the letter, business leaders argue that when parents have access to affordable pre-K, they are better able to work, and when children arrive at school ready to learn, they are more likely to succeed later in life. The statement also links higher family earnings to more local spending at Kentucky businesses.
Beshear said the business community’s message is that Pre-K for All is not just an education policy but an economic development investment that will grow Kentucky’s workforce.
“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,” Beshear said in the release. 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.”
The business letter is the latest in a series of public shows of support for Pre-K for All. Beshear’s office noted that 93 school superintendents, including Glasgow Independent Superintendent Chad Muhlenkamp, Caverna Independent Superintendent Amanda Abell and Barren County Superintendent Amy Irwin, previously sent a letter urging lawmakers to fund the initiative.
Barren Inc, Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd and Cave City Mayor Dwayne Hatcher also signed a letter of support for the initiative.
Key Facts
– More than 150 Kentucky business leaders signed a letter urging state lawmakers to fund Pre-K for All
– Gov. Andy Beshear says the funding push targets the 2026-2027 state budget
– Med Center Health, T.J. Regional Health, Hive Coffee and Bakehouse and the Wound Care Center at Glasgow are among the businesses with local ties
– Supporters say universal pre-K would grow Kentucky’s workforce and strengthen the economy
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