Pre-K students at Saint Teresa Regional School, Runnemede, hug their own little stuffed animal penguins. Youngsters in the ...

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKRC) - As Kentucky lawmakers prepare to reconvene in January to craft the state's two-year budget, Gov. Andy Beshear is prioritizing universal pre-K for all four-year-olds statewide.

Around 9,000 more kids have been enrolled in free, universal state-funded pre-K as of October 2025 than at this time last year, though an updated enrollment percentage has not yet been calculated.