Early education systems across the United States are meant to give children the opportunity to learn at very early ages, what is known as pre-Kindergarten or pre-K.
Kentucky’s neighboring state to the north, Indiana, ranked worst on a list of 50 states from WalletHub in its latest findings. Despite the benefits of early education, only 11 states offer pre-K programs, with Indiana not included.
Kentucky was right in the middle, ranking 25th on a list of 50 states and the District of Columbia, which makes Indiana 51st on this list of states in the US.
WalletHub ranked states across America using three key dimensions in their methodology. Those include:
Access: 40 Points
Share of School Districts that Offer State Pre-K Program: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Share of 3- and 4-year-olds Enrolled in State Pre-K Program: Double Weight (~11.43 Points)
Share of 3- and 4-year-olds Enrolled in Pre-K, Pre-K Special Education and Head Start Programs: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Presence of Waiting Lists or Frozen Intake for Child Care Assistance: Double Weight (~11.43 Points)
Pre-K Program Growth: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Quality: 40 Points
Pre-K Quality Benchmarks Met: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
Income Requirement for State Pre-K Eligibility: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
Requirement of School Safety Plans & Audits: Double Weight (~20.00 Points)
Resources & Economic Support: 20 Points
Total Reported Spending per Child Enrolled in Preschool: Double Weight (~5.00 Points)
Change in State Spending per Child Enrolled in Preschool: Triple Weight (~7.50 Points)
Total State Head Start Program Spending per Child Enrolled in Preschool: Double Weight (~5.00 Points)
Monthly Child Care Co-Payment Fees as Share of Family Income: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Based on these three key metrics for how good one state’s early education programs are, Indiana ranked dead last, 51st in Access, 31st in Quality and 37th in Resources & Economic Support.
In Kentucky, the Commonwealth ranked in the top 20 in both Access (18th) and Quality (18th), but nearly ranked last at 49th in Resources & Economic Support.
But as universal pre-K is introduced through the Thrive By 5 program in Louisville, there could be change in that last metric, with more tax dollars going towards early education in Kentucky.
This article appears in Jul 17-30, 2024.