The following statement was issued by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence
Kentucky’s move from the bottom of the national rankings in education to the middle in the last generation relied on high expectations for all students, as well as new and sustained investments at every level of our education system—preschool through postsecondary.
While Governor Bevin clearly placed a priority on teaching and learning in the classroom, stating that “we cannot rob our students” and holding the per pupil funding guarantee steady, many of the other cuts to the budget could exacerbate inequities between schools and districts across the state—and for the students they serve.
Kentucky just renewed commitments to high expectations and ambitious goals in K12 and in postsecondary. Without adequate and equitable funding, we will not be able to pursue these goals with the level of investment necessary to yield positive and measurable results for each and every student.
While the public pension crisis has placed a significant strain on the rest of the state budget and needs to be dealt with, we cannot let that further erode critical investments in the resource that matters most – our human capital. All Kentuckians have a role to play in building the public and political will to make the difficult decisions that can no longer be put aside.
In the coming days, we look forward to more deeply analyzing the proposed budget and potential impacts on our goals to increase student outcomes and close achievement gaps. And, we look forward to working with policymakers as they continue to craft the next biennial budget over the ensuing months.
With increased investments, 21st century innovations, and renewed citizen engagement, Kentucky can ensure education excellence for another generation.
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