LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville Metro officials Wednesday announced plans for Bezos Academy Louisville – Fairdale, a tuition-free, year-round preschool with room for 40 students.
This is the first Bezos Academy preschool being built in partnership with Louisville Metro Government, and the third location planned for Louisville. The two other Bezos Academy preschools, located in the Russell and Okolona neighborhoods, are being made possible through a partnership with LDG Development. All three locations will open in 2025, together serving 200 preschool aged students.
Bezos Academy covers the operating expenses for preschool programs at no cost to the families served. The organization hires, trains, develops and pays talented educators, and provides everything that the children need during their day, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
“The team at Bezos Academy and my administration believe that access to affordable, early childhood education sets our children up for success and spurs transformational change for a brighter future,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “I am so thankful to Bezos Academy for selecting Fairdale as a new site for this Montessori-inspired preschool, which will help us reach our goal of providing every 3- and 4-year-old in Louisville a strong start to their education journey.”
Greenberg was joined District 13 Councilman Dan Seum Jr. and Bezos Academy Superintendent of Schools Dr. A. Tracie Brown at the announcement event.
“From our first meetings in Louisville, I’ve been amazed at the welcome we’ve received,” said Mike George, president of Bezos Academy. “Louisville is brimming with leaders like Mayor Greenberg, who are dedicated to expanding access to preschool in their underserved communities. Thank you for partnering with us to build our third tuition-free Bezos Academy preschool here – we can’t wait to open our doors.”
Councilman Seum Jr. shared the positive impacts this announcement will have in the Fairdale community and across Louisville.
“We are so proud to have Bezos Academy here in Fairdale and in Louisville and we are looking forward to the positive impact this new preschool will have on our kids,” he said.
This announcement is a step in Mayor Greenberg’s plan to deliver affordable and quality pre-K opportunities for every 3- and 4-year-old in Louisville. In early March, Greenberg unveiled his plan to create a pathway to universal pre-K in Louisville by establishing Thrive by 5 Louisville, a 501c3 nonprofit which will implement a phased plan over a five-year period. To learn more about Thrive by 5 Louisville, a separate initiative from today’s announcement, click here.
Bezos Academy Louisville – Fairdale will be located at 709 Fairdale Road. Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level (about $125,000 per year for a family of four) with children aged 3-4 are eligible to apply. Once the opening date is set, more information and an application for the lottery-based selection process will be posted at www.bezosacademy.org.
Bezos Academy is a non-profit organization building a network of tuition-free preschools offering year-round, full-day programming, five days a week, for children ages 3-5 years old from low-income families. Bezos Academy provides all necessary educational supplies and services to set each student up for success, including Montessori materials, books, arts and crafts, field trips, and meals.
