With "Pre-K for All" failing to gain traction in the GOP-led General Assembly, Beshear is using another route to push the administration priority. Thursday, Beshear revealed he has signed an executive order implementing pilot programs establishing full-day preschool for all four-year-olds in the two counties.
"These pilots serve as the first step in a phased, responsible path toward every child having pre-K access," the governor said.
Dr. Carrie Ballinger and Dr. Sanford Holbrook head up the school systems in Rockcastle and Robertson counties.
"I've seen that students who have the opportunity to attend pre-school... have much more success in school. They're much more likely to graduate from high school and they are much better prepared to enter the workforce," Ballinger said.
"Pre-K for All is so important to our community," Holbrook continued. "Because if you've ever been to Robertson County, you know we have no childcare. The childcare centers closest to Robertson County are located in Cynthiana 40 minutes away and Maysville 30 minutes away."
Republicans have tended to favor plans that would bolster expanded childcare options over the governor's pre-K push — a position Beshear has suggested is political in nature. GOP leaders have also pointed to worries about instituting a new recurring cost.
Beshear now says the goal of the pilot programs is to grow them until they reach across the state.