Kentucky’s future relies on a robust and equitable public education system. For too long, disparities in funding and access have held back students in urban centers like District 40. My core mission in Frankfort is to establish a true education-first budget that guarantees every child, regardless of neighborhood, has a path to success from pre-K through career. We must recognize that investing in education is the single greatest investment we can make in our economic future.
The first critical expansion is Universal Pre-K for all four-year-olds. Currently, only a fraction of Kentucky children have access to state-funded preschool, leaving many behind before they even step into kindergarten. Providing this early foundation drastically improves literacy, boosts long-term academic achievement, and, crucially, removes a significant childcare barrier for working parents, expanding our local workforce. The return on investment for early learning is consistently proven to be over five dollars for every dollar spent.
Second, we must secure the talent that guides our students: our teachers. We must fight for competitive, mandated statewide teacher salaries and fully fund the Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) formula to ensure urban districts have the resources to hire adequate mental health counselors, special education staff, and modern technology. We must also end the practice of shortfalls in SEEK funding, which forces districts like ours to scramble. By giving our educators the respect and resources they deserve, and expanding high-quality learning from the very start, we build the foundation for a prosperous and equitable District 40.
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